Valuable Insights from Vast Streaming Study

A huge study undertaken recently by Parent Tested Parent Approved revealed extremely interesting results on streaming trends – for both children and their families – and holds key findings for the future.

Engaging select members of its community, the survey resulted in more than 2,000 respondents with children under age 15, revealing valuable insights into how children and families consume media on streaming platforms.

The survey found that more than 60% of children use paid streaming services daily, with 85% of those children preferring streaming services over cable TV (6%).The survey also revealed that 41% of families watch under 10 hours weekly, 37% watch 11-20 hours and 22% use streaming services more than 20 hours per week.

Netflix was the most popular among all streaming platforms, with 81% of households watching its programming.

Parent Tested Parent Approved, a brand-testing platform with a dedicated community of more than 250,000 North American families, recently announced results of its survey on children’s and family streaming service preferences and habits.

Amazon Prime Video was second at 78% followed by Disney+ at 69%. Hulu (46%) and Paramount+ (38%) rounded out the top five.

A majority of survey respondents felt that Disney+ had the best programming content for children, with 65% expressing this sentiment. Netflix came in second with 18%.When asked about the services children used most often, Disney+ was the top choice with 38%, followed closely by Netflix with 33%, and Amazon Prime Video at 5%. Disney+ had the most loyal customers, with 55% of respondents committed to keeping the service long-term, followed by Netflix at 24%. Additionally, 30% of those surveyed felt that Netflix offered the best value for their money, followed by Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video, both at 19%. Most parents were unwilling to pay more than they already spend on streaming services, with 69% saying they would not increase their monthly subscription fees. However, 70% of respondents supported annual or adsupported subscriptions if it resulted in savings.

We caught up with Sharon Vinderine CEO of Parent Tested Parent Approved to analyse some of the findings.

You’ve just undertaken a huge study – can you tell us more about it?

As trend experts in the kids and family space, we are consistently conducting surveys and testing that are relevant today. It is important for the marketplace to understand how children and families are consuming content on paid streaming platforms and how pricing affects what streaming services they choose.

In these challenging economic times, parents have limited budgets and are looking to get the most of their entertainment dollar. We surveyed 2,000 members of our community of more than 250,000 parents. The results gave us a comprehensive look at how families are consuming streaming media, and which services offer the most bang for their buck.

What were some key findings of the study?

One of our key findings was that the demand for quality content at an affordable price is more in demand than ever before.

The numbers are actually quite astounding. The survey showed that 75% of respondents use a streaming platform each day, and 60% said their children watch streaming daily. Kids are influencing family purchasing decisions more than ever before, and we know how incredibly loyal kids are. As marketing teams understand how content consumption is changing, they can establish brand affinity by tapping into the influence children have. In an effort to keep costs manageable,

“The numbers are actually quite astounding. The survey showed that 75% of respondents use a streaming platform each day, and 60% said their children watch streaming daily.” parents are looking at streaming platforms that deliver content that appeals not only to their children, but for the multi-generational household. It comes down to affordability: 69% of respondents said they would not pay more for their current monthly subscription fees, although 70% would support ad-supported or annual subscriptions if it saved them money.

How did content change for key and different platforms per different age groups?

Not surprisingly, 65% said that Disney+ was the best service for children’s content, making them the runaway top choice.

But when we asked which service their children used most often, it was much closer, with 38% saying Disney to make it harder for specific properties to be standout hits that will then translate well to product. However, there is a growing appetite amongst parents for ad supported options to keep their monthly streaming bills down and that could be a way to ensure that more kids get access to content from platforms that currently have smaller audiences.

We are continuing to regularly survey our families, so it will be interesting to see how their perceptions change over the next year.

“...a growing appetite amongst parents for ad supported options to keep monthly bills down - that could be a way to ensure that more kids get access to content from platforms that currently have smaller audiences.” compared to 34% for Netflix. When surveyed about non-kids programming, it is significantly different, with 37% answering Netflix, followed by HBO Max at 13% and Amazon Prime at 12%.

Concentrating on licensing and merchandising, were there any key trends identified in the study?

Our community of families were excited to share their experiences with streaming content. It is clear that they are still experimenting with the right mix of platforms that works for the whole family.

From a licensing perspective, the fragmented streaming landscape is going

“The survey found that more than 60% of children use paid streaming services daily, with 85% of those children preferring streaming services over cable TV (6%). “

Founded in 2007, the Parent Tested Parent Approved Seal of Approval is one of North America’s most recognized and respected consumer product awards. Driven by consumer trust and extensive media coverage for more than 15 years, the Parent Tested Parent Approved Seal of Approval has empowered millions of parents to make informed, smart purchasing decisions for their families. Parent Tested Parent Approved has partnered with some of the world’s most iconic brands to enhance product visibility and increase sales with an invaluable thirdparty endorsement from a highly influential community of parents.