Americans Spend Nearly 5 Days A Year Just Deciding What To Watch

These days, just about anything we want to watch is just a click away, but not everyone is happy about it. It turns out some folks who use streaming services are overwhelmed by all the options available, according to a new survey that suggests it might be too much of a good thing.

The poll of 2-thousand U.S. streaming service subscribers finds that one in five think it’s actually harder to find something to watch today than it was a decade ago. This leads to lots of time scrolling, with the average person spending about 110 hours a year, or nearly five days looking for a show or movie worth watching.

Commissioned by UserTesting and conducted by Talker Research, the study revealed one in five believe it’s harder to find something to watch today than it was 10 years ago. According to them, the underlying cause comes from being overwhelmed by too much content.

• The biggest issue streaming customers have? Content overload (41%), followed by feeling like there’s too much original content being produced (26%).
• While three-quarters of respondents appreciate streaming service algorithms giving them accurate recommendations, 51% admit there’s just too many of them because they want to watch everything that’s recommended to them.
• Today, almost half (48%) don’t have traditional cable anymore.
• Those who are streaming-only say they cut the cord because they like the variety (43%), the shows they watch aren’t on cable (34%) and they find streaming more convenient when they’re on-the-go (29%).
• But some aren’t satisfied with the current streaming services available, as 51% wish there were more streaming options, even if they included ads.
• So, what would their “dream” streaming platform look like? Premium channels and networks included for no extra cost (40%) and an easy-to-use interface (39%).
• They want it to be available for no more than $46 a month, but 11% would be willing to spend over $100 on the monthly service.
• More than three-quarters (79%) of streamers are also frustrated with services charging extra fees for certain content, while 69% have been upset by a platform pulling a show they were watching without notice.

Source: SWNS Digital

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