By Allison Sadlier
NEWS COPY w/ VIDEO & INFOGRAPHIC
The average person has watched 20 movies in the past two months, according to new research.
The study of 2,000 nationally-representative Americans examined the part streamers have played this summer amidst the pandemic.
Over half of respondents (52%) agree that they streamed more than they would in a normal summer due to stay-at-home restrictions with COVID-19.
The survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Tubi revealed Americans ages 25-34 increased their streaming the most this summer with the average respondent watching an additional four hours of content a day on top of what they were watching at the start of quarantine in March or April.
The average person has binged four shows in the past two months with Americans 18-24 and 25-34 binging five shows in that same time frame.
Two in five parents (47% of respondents) estimated their child is streaming more now than when the pandemic started. With typical activities off the table because of COVID-19, a third of parents were dependent on streamers to keep their child busy this summer.
As the months inside continue, parents and kids alike are on the hunt for new content.
Thirty-seven percent of respondents would try a new streaming service with ads to watch something they haven’t seen.
Many Americans are also turning to ad-supported streaming services as a way to save money, as others look for additional ways to cut their subscription streaming costs.
Nearly one in four (24%) respondents ages 18-34 have canceled a streaming service they pay for in favor of using a free service in the past few months.
Three in ten respondents are facing financial difficulties that are causing them to reevaluate which streaming services they subscribe to.
One in four have gotten extra crafty to save some cash and have started a free trial and canceled it before having to pay the subscription fee. The average person to subscribe and cancel before paying has done it three times.
Meanwhile, 17% have shared passwords with others in order to gain access to streamers they don’t subscribe to with 38% of respondents 18-24 and 31% of 25-34 participating in password swaps.
A spokesperson for Tubi said, “We’re all in need of distraction and entertainment as we continue to stay home and practice social distancing. Exploring free, ad-supported streaming services is a great way to discover something new to watch and help cut costs.”
With Americans continuing to follow stay-at-home orders, one thing is clear—the demand for new content remains high.
Over half of parents (55%) think TV has become an educational tool to keep their child learning when school is not open.
Two in five respondents (39%) are struggling to find new content on streamers after exhausting their options earlier in quarantine, which has led 35% to try a new streaming service to find different content options.
Two in five (44%) are also taking advantage of the extra screen time to catch-up on shows they’ve missed.
Some shows respondents are playing catch-up with are Yellowstone, The Umbrella Academy, This Is Us, The Good Doctor, Stranger Things, Schitt’s Creek and Ozark. Others are finally getting around to shows that aired years ago like The Sopranos, Shameless and The Office.
