In Q2, Disney+ took the top spot for new subscriptions in the UK with a 19% share, as reported by Kantar. Moreover, Netflix's "Baby Reindeer" was the most enjoyed VoD series, while "Clarkson’s Farm" helped Prime Video rebound after a soft Q1, moving back into the #2 spot. Warner Bros Discover (TNT/EuroSport/Discovery+) surged into #3 with a sport content-led drive, whereas AppleTV+ fell to the #4 spot with a 12% share after holding the top spot for the last six months.
Q2 saw a light quarter for new subscriptions, with only 8% of the British population taking out a new VoD service, the lowest in 12 months. Currently, 19.5 million British households have at least one paid video streaming service, down 300,000 from Q1 2024. Additionally, almost half of GB streamers (47%) indicated they would accept ads for a cheaper service, up from 42%.
After a soft first quarter, Prime Video bounced back into second in the share of new paid-for subscriptions. “Clarkson’s Farm” continued to resonate strongly with British audiences, with the release of the show's third season responsible for attracting 14% of new Prime Video content-led subscriptions over the second quarter. The farming documentary was also the 2nd most enjoyed title across the whole of GB, only behind Baby Reindeer on Netflix. After experiencing a temporary rise in cancellations post-Christmas in June, Prime Video’s churn rate fell below that of Netflix, coming in at just 2% over the month. However, some concerns still linger amongst those on Prime Video’s ad-supported tier, with a net dissatisfaction with the number of ads served of -17% compared to -6% for Netflix and -7% for Disney+. Despite this, almost half of GB streamers (47%) now say they would accept ads if it made the service cheaper, up from 42% 18 months ago.
“Baby Reindeer,” a UK-based biographical drama about a stalker, proved to be a huge hit and was the most enjoyed show across the GB during the second quarter. The show alone was responsible for attracting 8% of new subscribers. The latest installment of period drama, “Bridgerton,” was the top show in June, helping Netflix to grow its subscriber share over the same point in 2023. Despite increased competition, Netflix continues to dominate content discovery in GB, with 53% of all VoD subscribers choosing Netflix as their first port of call to find new content to watch, marginally up from a year ago.
Warner Bros Discovery climbed to third place in the second quarter in share of new paid-for subscriptions, with sports being a driving force for 1 in 4 new subscribers, the highest in over a year. Kantar Entertainment on Demand data highlighted that the acceleration in acquisition was significantly helped by online and social media advertising, both hitting yearly highs in terms of their impact.
The release of series 20 of “Grey’s Anatomy” was the top driver of new subscriptions to Disney+ over the quarter, with Japanese historical drama “Shogun” continuing to perform well. The Disney+ ad-supported tier is playing a key role in attracting new subscribers to Disney+, with subscribers rating the ad experience higher than most of its direct peers – an important outcome given the importance of the overall Disney brand in the marketplace.
Having held the top spot for the last six months, AppleTV+'s share of new subscriptions fell back in the second quarter, with specific title-driven acquisitions falling from 44% last quarter to 34% in Q2. A slightly weaker slate in the second quarter meant AppleTV+ relied more heavily on free trial promotions to drive subscriber growth.
"Star Trek" usurped "Yellowstone" for the first time in over 12 months as the title/franchise most important in attracting new subscribers to Paramount+, but it wasn’t enough to stop a fall in share. Paramount continues to struggle with subscriber advocacy, with Net Promoter Score (a measure of subscriber advocacy) remaining in negative figures for the last 12 months. This is limiting the ability of Paramount+ to win new subscribers via word-of-mouth recommendation, instead having to rely more heavily on expensive marketing campaigns. More than 1 in 3 of those quitting the service say they are not using it regularly enough and cite a lack of new content as a key reason.
“The latest data from our Entertainment on Demand study reveals the dynamic nature of the GB streaming market. Prime Video’s resurgence, driven by popular content like Clarkson’s Farm, highlights the importance of compelling content in retaining subscribers. Meanwhile, the strong performance of Disney+ and Netflix underscores their ability to consistently deliver engaging shows that resonate with diverse audiences,” said Andrew Skerratt, Global Insights Director at Kantar. “Understanding these trends and consumer preferences is crucial for streaming services aiming to maintain and grow their subscriber base in a highly competitive market,” he concluded.
Related News
