In this new follow-up Fortune|SurveyMonkey poll, conducted in early September among more than 1,000 people across the U.S., we find sustained daily usage of streaming video platforms as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic. Half of Americans (50%) say they have been watching streaming video more since the start of the coronavirus outbreak. Even those with cable or satellite subscriptions today are watching more streaming services than they did before the pandemic (54%), and majorities of cable subscribers are saying streaming services are a better deal for what they want to watch (54% cable subscribers, 87% recently cancelled cable).
Little has changed since May with regards to how often Americans are using video streaming services like Netflix and Hulu; Almost half (46%) say they use video streaming services every day, up from around 30% in October and November 2019. The “never watched streaming services” group number remains in the single digits (8%) as it was in May.
Netflix remains the top cited platform for streaming video with over three-quarters (76%) using Netflix currently. Amazon Prime Video is not far behind with 61% who are using the service. Disney+ got the biggest increase in usage with nine percentage points from 31% in May to 40% now.
Right before HBO Max launched, our May streaming survey had 20% of Americans saying they were likely to subscribe to the service when it came available at the end of the month. Today, a similar share (17%) say they are currently using the service in line with expectations from several months ago.
Yet, the other newcomer service, NBCUniversal’s “Peacock”, came up a bit short. Where 16% of Americans said they were likely to subscribe to the new service back in May, only nine percent now say they use the service.
Netflix is the most cited when it comes to predictions for who will lead the market in five years. Fully 42% overall say Netflix will be on top, 18% for Amazon Prime Video, 12% for Disney+, and the remaining platforms have single digit support.
By age, predictions that Netflix will be at the top drops as age increases with over half (54%) among 18-24 year olds compared to 37% among the 65+ cohort. The youngest age group sees Disney+ as a viable contender with 25% predicting it will be the market leader. Over two in 10 (21%) of those 65 and up think that none of the current streaming services will be the market leader in five years.
For more detailed results, click through the interactive toplines below.
Read more about our polling methodology here.
Question text:
How often do you watch video using streaming services (like Netflix or Hulu)?
Compared to before the pandemic, are you using streaming services more, less, or about the same amount?
Which of the following video streaming services do you currently use? (Select all that apply.)
Compared to before the pandemic, are you using any of the following video streaming services more? (Select all that apply.)
Which of the following video streaming services have you stopped using over the past 12 months (Select all that apply.)
Which streaming service do you expect to be the market leader five years from now?
Do you have a cable or satellite television subscription?
Which would you say is a better deal for what you want to watch?
