Netflix may have a sizable subscriber lead on other SVOD services, but HBO Now beats them all when measured against more than a dozen categories linked to customer satisfaction, Strategy Analytics found in a study that also included Hulu and Amazon Video in its analysis.
RELATED: Netflix Ended 2016 With 93.8M Subs Worldwide
Per the report, HBO Now, the direct-to-consumer OTT service that debuted in April 2015, ranked highest in 11 of 14 categories, including availability of past season TV shows, overall number of shows and original programs, hit movies, quality of original programming and movies.
Netflix was ranked tops in three categories – recommendations, cost of the service, and, most notably, overall satisfaction.
Hulu held the edge in children’s programming, and outscored Netflix in six of the 14 categories. Amazon Video did not score highest in any of the report’s 14 categories of measurement.
“HBO Now has successfully positioned itself as a go-to-service for quality programs, especially movies,” Zhaowen Wu, digital media strategies analyst at Strategy Analytics, said in a statement. “Though HBO Now has a much smaller library than other SVOD services, it has more blockbuster movie and hit series such as Game of Thrones and Westworld.”
“When considering the bigger picture, Netflix clearly benefits from its brand ‘halo’ whilst HBO Now suffers from a negative association with cable’s legacy issues, however, once one gets into the weeds, the reality is that HBO subscribers are the most satisfied with nearly all elements that make up a strong SVOD service,” added Michael Goodman, the research firm’s director, digital media strategies.
Goodman stressed that the difference in scores across most categories was relatively small, and that Amazon’s scores could be impacted because video is just one benefit included in a Prime subscription.
“People have been talking about it being a Netflix vs. Amazon battle in terms of which service viewers choose, with the others left to pick up the scraps. However, if HBO continues on this vein, we’re more likely to see a situation where people will have one ‘blockbuster’ service like HBO or HBO Now and either a Netflix or Amazon in support,” Goodman said.
