Study: Millennials are 'leading the streaming revolution'

 By 
Saba Hamedy
 on 
Study: Millennials are 'leading the streaming revolution'
A consumer watches Netflix on his laptop screen. Credit: JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty Images

Sorry, cable providers: Cord-cutting is still going strong, especially among millennials.

According to a new survey by Atlanta-based video technology firm Clearleap, streaming services are now considered "mainstream"

The study, exclusively given to Mashable, polled 1,111 U.S. consumers age 18 or older in July 2015.

Here are five takeaways from the survey:

1. Millennials are "leading the streaming revolution."

It's no secret that 18-to-29-year-olds are less inclined to consume content on their big(ger) screens.

The survey found that 70.32% of respondents in that age demographic use a streaming service, while only 64.41% have a cable subscription. A whopping 84.93% said they have used a streaming service at some point in time.

"Millennials are really really important because they are growing category and driving a lot of the consumption behavior," David Mowrey, of Clearleap, told Mashable.

2. People still prefer Netflix and Chill over Amazon/Hulu/other streaming services and Chill. (At least for now).

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Netflix remains the streaming king in the crowded marketplace. In its third quarter earnings call, the Los Gatos-based company reported 69.17 million streaming subscriptions as of Sept. 30.

3. Mobile consumption is growing -- but respondents under the age of 30 prefer viewing content on their laptops.

More than half (about 58%) of respondents under the age of 30 said they have watched streaming service content on their laptops, while over a third stream to their smartphones (39.1%). Meanwhile, the majority of users in the 30-to-44-year-old age bracket prefer streaming content on tablets (32.95%) and then laptops (31.79%).

4. You're not the only one sharing your streaming service password.

Yikes: This stat doesn't look too good for the streaming services out there. About 78.61% of 18-to-29-year-olds surveyed shared their login credentials with someone else. Nearly a quarter of young people surveyed said they have used a streaming service that does not belong to them.

It's also common among older subscribers, who often share with family members. About 64% of current streaming service users between the ages of 30 to 44 and and 68.5% of users ages 45-59 have shared their login with someone else.

5. Good content + fair prices = The best way to get subscribers.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

About 43% of those surveyed said they would dish out $10 to $25 per month for their ideal streaming service, a figure that surprised Mowrey and others at Clearleap.

About 24% said content was the most important deciding factor when choosing what service to subscribe to. About 23% of those surveyed said price was the most important.

Other factors -- free trial, ease of use, recommendation from a friend and advertising -- also played a role in users decision about which services to pick.

"Launching these OTT services is really challenging, but it’s a must have for any content company," Mowrey said.

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