Almost half of US consumers find the streaming experience 'frustrating'

Streaming may now be the new normal in terms of consuming movies and TV, but there’s clearly some way to go in perfecting the experience.

Research among consumers in the US has found that almost half find using streaming sites ‘frustrating’, and for a number of different reasons.

It was also found that we may be approaching ‘subscription fatigue, with choices ranging from Netflix and Amazon Prime to HBO and Hulu in the US.

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And that’s before Disney launches its new streaming platform, simultaneously taking down all of its content from current platforms like Netflix.

Apple is poised to release its own streaming service into what is now a crowded marketplace too, with news of the launch expected later this month.

47 percent of US consumers said they’re frustrated by the number of subscriptions they feel they now have to take up in order to view the content they want.

Meanwhile, 57 percent are additionally frustrated when content disappears unexpectedly due to expired licensing agreements.

A further 49 percent said that the sheer volume of choice actually makes it more difficult to find something to watch.

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The same percentage again said that they will give up on trying to find specific content if it doesn’t turn up in a few minutes.

“Consumers want choice — but only up to a point,” said Kevin Westcott of Deloitte, which oversaw the research (via Variety).

“We may be entering a time of ‘subscription fatigue’. Consumers are looking for less friction in the consumption process.”

On average in the US, consumers subscribe to three streaming services, according to the report.

Other finds included 75 percent of consumers saying that they would prefer fewer ads, 82 percent saying that they didn’t trust streaming companies to keep their data safe, and a 140 percent increase over 2018 in the use of voice-operated controllers.