Conviva, specialists in Over the Top (OTT) video experience optimisation for media companies, has released the findings of its inaugural report, which found that stream interruptions, inadequate picture fidelity and other poor streaming experience issues prompt nearly three-quarters of all OTT video viewers to give up in the first four minutes of playback. The report, “How Consumers Judge their Viewing Experience’ reveals the steep challenges OTT service providers, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) face in today’s shifting broadcast consumption landscape.
Conviva conducted the survey in early 2015, interviewing 750 consumers that fell within the key demographic of OTT viewers ages 26 to 34. To download the full report, visit the Conviva website.
Hui Zhang, CEO of Conviva commented, “As content consumption moves away from the traditional TV-based model, broadcasters need to ensure their online platforms deliver a seamless experience regardless of the device used. Conviva helps the world’s top providers maximise video experiences and optimise engagement through metrics, analytics and pre-emptive optimisation, which not only alert them to potential issues, but also avert those issues in real time during playback.’
Key findings of the survey include:
Viewers report low tolerance for poor video experience: Only 25 percent of respondents would engage with video content for more than four minutes of an inferior viewing experience.
Attachment to specific OTT services vacillates: One in three viewers leaves to find content elsewhere as soon as playback degradations occur and 40 percent reported reduced affinity for a service after one bad experience.
Poor experiences on one device impact viewing across devices: Fewer than 16 percent of consumers would try watching on another device after a sub-par experience on their first attempted device.
Consumers multiple parties are to blame: Viewers assign blame for poor experiences almost equally to the OTT service they are using, their ISP, and CDNs delivering the content.