Netflix continues US market domination – ComScore

Netflix continues to enjoy significant domination of the US streaming market, new stats from ComScore show.

The SVOD service reached 75% of OTT homes in the US in December 2016, the figures reveal, way ahead of YouTube in second (53%).

Amazon Prime Vide is third with 33% reach, while Hulu trailed in fourth with 17%.

The research isn’t all good viewing for Netflix management, however. In terms of average viewing time, ‘skinny bundle provider’ Sling TV saw its users watching an average of 47 viewing hours per month , compared with 28 at Netflix. This despite Sling reaching a very small proportion of OTT-connected homes.

ComScore also noted that more than 30% of YouTube and gaming focused-Twitch’s TV audiences do not watch Netflix on television. The number for Hulu subs is 14%.

Meanwhile, Netflix was the top OTT service on every viewing platform except for Amazon Fire TV, which saw Amazon Prime Video first, followed by YouTube and then Netflix.

“OTT is a growing an increasingly important segment of the video viewing landscape, and the popularity of multiple services beyond Netflix suggests the market is poised for more growth,” ComScore’s VP, emerging products, Mike Rich wrote in a blog post.

“With 50% of households still yet to engage with OTT as of December 2016, there is a major opportunity for a number of services to help fill this vacuum. The question is whether – or to what extent – Netflix can retain its leadership position in this space as that happens.”