UK viewers are increasingly overwhelmed by the growing number of streaming services, with decision fatigue setting in as they try to navigate a sea of options, according to the latest 2024 TiVo Video Trends Report: United Kingdom. Only 16% of UK viewers know what they want to watch when they begin browsing, leading to a phenomenon dubbed “habit browsing,” where most users scroll through options without a clear choice in mind.
As more streaming providers enter the UK entertainment market, the report highlights a steady rise in consumption. The average number of services used by UK viewers increased from 6 in Q2 2023 to 6.5 in Q2 2024. Additionally, 61% of viewers now switch between multiple apps during a typical viewing session, up from 55% in Q2 2023, resulting in less time enjoying content and more time hunting for something to watch.
A lack of personalized recommendations is also contributing to this trend. Nearly 19% of viewers struggle to find something when they don’t have a specific choice in mind, while 18% admit to frequently starting, stopping, and re-selecting options during a viewing session. The influx of options has also impacted loyalty, with 34% of current streaming service users expressing a desire to cancel a subscription within the next six months.
UK viewers are spending more time in front of the TV. Daily viewing time rose to 3.8 hours, with households containing children watching up to 4 hours per day and viewers in Scotland averaging 4.2 hours. This increase highlights the ongoing appeal of television despite the growing complexities in content selection.
The adoption of free, ad-supported video-on-demand (AVoD) and free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) services is on the rise, with 43% of respondents using platforms like FreeVee and Pluto TV. Notably, 56% of viewers access these services on a TV, indicating a high tolerance for advertisements among users who prioritize free content.
In the competitive subscription market, 27% of UK consumers started using a new streaming service in the past six months. However, 21% of respondents cancelled a service during the same period, underscoring the pressures on streaming providers to attract and retain subscribers amid growing alternatives.
The appeal of watching social video content on larger screens is also notable. Over a third of respondents reported watching social media videos on their TVs several times a week, marking an increase of nearly 9% since spring 2023. This trend shows a shift in viewer preferences, with social video content continuing to gain popularity on the big screen.
“As streaming options multiply, viewers are facing continued frustration when it comes to finding something to watch, showing ongoing discontent with the difficulty of finding material that suits their personal preferences,” said Gabriel Cosgrave, general manager of EMEA at Xperi. “TV manufacturers need to prioritize key smart TV features such as aggregated and unbiased content offerings, and user experience features like hyper-personalisation and natural voice search so that consumers find content they love quickly,” he concluded.