SVOD Platform Audience. The Case of Netflix, Blockbuster, Hulu and HBO

Abstract

At the end of the first decade of the 21st century, traditional linear television began, with greater precision, a transformation process towards online television, which continues to this day. This evolution has allowed almost unlimited access to the content, without having to be subject to the programming grid of a television, now there is the possibility of seeing what you want, when and where you want. However, an increase in the demand for content through television brings with it several disadvantages: the need to adapt to different screens and devices, the speed of connection, the location or the validation of the subscribers. The above generates a problem in the fragmentation of the audience, both for advertisers and for distributors, who affirm a sustainable business model. For example, the subscription to video on demand (SVOD) model, as offered by Netflix or HBO, makes programmers and distributors address some of the concerns of advertisers to increase the flow of investment in television advertising. Some of them would be: Scale, it is not enough to buy time in a program that is broadcast in a predetermined time zone; Measurement, the gross audience index (GRP) metric is no longer as simple as a result of the different broadcast platforms and devices; In technology, we find users who want to access content from different devices, or even want to see a series on their smartphone while they are on the train and can continue when they get home, this time on the television in their living room. The evolution in which television is immersed affects both the audience and advertising. In recent years, the effort is focused on finding a solution to the fragmentation of the audience, with the consequent obtaining of the optimization of budget revenues and advertising campaigns. The work presented here carries out an analysis of the audiences, through the study of the websites of four SVOD platforms: Netflix, Blockbuster, Hulu and HBO.