Global content: daily user engagement grew by 12% in 2023

Content daily playtime per user globally surged after a two-year drop, averaging a growth in the consumption per service by 12% for VOD and 4% for Linear TV, suggesting either higher consumption or consolidation, as presented in NPAW’s 2023 Video Streaming Industry Report. According to the research, the most notable finding is the consolidation, in the second semester of the year, of the upward trend in daily user engagement for VOD and Linear TV, at 4% and 3%, respectively. 

This pivot might signal an increase in consumption or a shift in the consumers’ attention toward a more selective number of platforms. Episodic content continued to dominate as the primary type of VOD content for another year, capturing 67% of the total global playtime. However, movies saw a slight increase, accounting for 26% of all VOD minutes streamed in 2023.

Additionally, 2023 was also a year of significant improvements in the quality of experience front, both globally, with a global decrease of 38% in the buffer ratio, and regionally, with regions like Asia experiencing an 18% increase in the average bitrate. These boosts signal that there is still room for optimization of the viewing experience.

“​​These findings underscore a significant year of renewal and growth for the streaming sector. The increase of up to 12% in daily playtime per user, coupled with tangible improvements in the Quality of Experience, highlights how the industry is consolidating and evolving to meet and exceed viewer expectations,” said Ferran G. Vilaró, CEO and Co-Founder of NPAW.

At the device level, big screens extended their dominance in total playtime by up to 8%, driven by the growth of smart TVs. This reaffirms that consumers prefer big-screen experiences when streaming video content, reserving smaller-screen devices like smartphones for casual streaming or while on the move.

“As providers navigate this journey of optimization, leveraging deep end-user behavior and experience data will be crucial in capturing the attention and loyalty of consumers. Understanding the insights derived from NPAW’s 2023 Video Streaming Industry Report will play a pivotal role in shaping successful streaming strategies moving forward,” Vilaró added.