(Photo by Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock)

Erik Gruenwedel

December 21, 2022

Consumers are apparently getting headaches when it comes to sorting through their home entertainment options. With linear television and the DVD replaced by streaming and social media, consumers are looking for a return to simplicity navigating the over-the-top media landscape, according to new data from Accenture.

Six in seven consumers globally (86%) want an all-in-one platform to simplify their entertainment experiences with video streaming, fantasy sports, social media, e-commerce and more, according to the consulting firm’s report.

As part of its second annual global entertainment study, Accenture surveyed 6,000 consumers to understand their preferences and behaviors regarding their online entertainment experiences. Four in 10 respondents (41%) said they would pay for an all-in-one platform for their entertainment services. In addition, three in five (61%) want the ability to share their streaming profiles across platforms to allow for better personalization of content.

“Standalone streaming services are running up against some simple facts: There are limits to what consumers will pay for and only a certain amount of complexity and options that they are prepared to deal with,” John Peters, a managing director in Accenture’s Media & Entertainment industry practice, said in a statement.

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Other findings from the report further highlight the need for media organizations to reconsider their operational and content strategies:

• More than one-third (35%) of consumers unsubscribed from at least one of the top five streaming video-on-demand services in the last 12 months, and 26% said that they plan to cut one or more in the next 12 months.
• More than seven in 10 consumers (72%) reported frustration at finding something to watch, up six percentage points from the previous year.
• More than half (55%) of consumers said they are overwhelmed by the number of streaming services to choose from, with 26% saying it can take them more than 10 minutes to settle on a streaming choice (up from 17% last year).

Accenture’s report also identifies three emerging roles for entertainment companies that are competing for consumers’ time, attention and money:

• Audience aggregators are platform companies with a diversified business model that monetize attention and engagement directly and indirectly by tying multiple entertainment and other services together in one place.
• Audience cultivators will create and efficiently monetize entertainment in one or multiple forms (e.g., video, music, gaming etc.) by knowing their core audience, focusing on content/cost efficiency, and ensuring that they’re included in audience aggregator platforms and bundles.
• Content merchants will focus on making the best possible content without needing to monetize the engagement their content achieves.

“These platforms will achieve two crucial outcomes — creating inclusive, lower churn services and bundles that will drive revenue for media companies, while delivering experiences that enable consumers to easily find and access content,” said Imran Shah, a managing director with Accenture’s communications, media and technology industry group.