In an ever-changing media landscape, Italy shows mixed signals in the adoption of paid streaming services. He reports Digital Consumer Trends Survey 2023 Of Deloittefocused on the Italian context, reveals a slight decline in the use of paid platformsdespite the exponential growth observed during the pandemic period.
“We are faced with an increasingly vast offering and new ways of interacting and enjoying content by users,” he declares Francesca Tagliapietra, Technology, Media & Telecommunications Leader by Deloitte Italy. “Not only is the world of devices transforming, but so is the world of content as the pandemic has led to a surge in access to online streaming platforms and consumption of video content. Now the phenomenon is stabilising, as demonstrated by the decline in new subscribers to paid platforms which is accompanied by greater fickleness of users, who increasingly tend to be returning subscribers as they are attracted to the platforms for short periods by attractive content” .
Digital Consumer Trends Survey 2023: paid streaming is decreasing in Italy
Research highlights that 68% of Italian adults have access to the main paid video services, recording a decline of 3% compared to the previous year. This decrease is less evident among young people, with 89% of individuals aged between 18 and 24 using these services, compared to 49% in the 65 to 75 age group.
At the same time, we are witnessing a increase in the adoption of smart TVs (with 71% of Italian adults owning one or having access to one), marking a 2% increase compared to 2022 and 24% over the last five years. This trend is accompanied by the diffusion of services free video streamingused by 87% of adults in Italy.
Despite the presence of free alternatives, Pay TV and sports broadcast services maintain a significant market share, with 17% and 18% of Italians using it respectively. However, one is observed reduction in the number of new subscribers to paid streaming services. These went from 21% in 2021 to 16% in 2023.
Account sharing and advertising
Account sharing remains a common practice, with 29% of accounts on the three major streaming platforms shared between multiple users. Furthermore, 25% of subscribers share costs with otherswhile 14% do not incur any costs for access, especially among the youngest.
Faced with the possibility of restrictions on account sharing, users express a preference for solutions that do not affect the current cost of the subscriptionpotentially accepting the introduction of advertising. 40% of subscribers to paid streaming services say they are open to considering this option. Against only 22% would consider purchasing a second account at full price. A clear 44% of those interviewed exclude this possibility.
“We are witnessing – continues Tagliapietra – a consolidation of the monetization strategies of streaming platforms. The latter are limiting the sharing of accounts, reviewing their pricing, differentiating the types of subscriptions and also inserting cheaper formulas, but supported by advertising content, to reduce sharing phenomena. It follows that the issue of the budget to be allocated to these services represents a factor to be taken into consideration, as it is reasonable to think that there will be a rationalization of the market, according to the logic of centralization of the offer by the main players”.
