Study: Hongkongers watch more videos in Q1 2022 due to fifth wave of pandemic

Hongkongers spent more time watching videos amid Q1 2022 due to social distancing and pandemic control measures imposed by the government. Free TV channels and digital platforms benefited from the increased demand from the public, according to OMG's Hong Kong video content viewing landscape March 2022 study. 

The study unveiled that audiences in Hong Kong had spent more time at home and therefore watched more video content, up from 68.7 hours per week in July 2021 to 77.3 hours per week in March 2022. The rises were notable across free TV as the audiences had spent 23.2 hours per week in the recent study, up from 21 hours a week in July 2021. 

Moreover, digital platforms enjoyed higher growth as the respondents had spent 34 hours per week in the latest study, up from 29.1 hours per week in July 2021.

YouTube and TVB both enjoyed the most significant growth. For example, the percentage of respondents who said they had watched videos on YouTube in the past seven days increased from 74% last year to 82% in the recent study. At the same time, 72% of respondents said they had watched TVB in the latest study, up from 64%. 

Netflix's viewership also increased significantly from 39% to 46%.

"Overall, our latest study has seen increased penetration and viewing time primarily due to the lockdown. YouTube and TVB have seen an uptake in middle and mature age groups (aged 45 to 59), and Netflix continues to grow in this market with additional and various types of content." said Nicole Cheng, insights director of OMG Hong Kong. 

In addition to this planform, the study also included Disney+ for the first time as it launched its service in Hong Kong last November. 23% of respondents said they had watched videos from Disney+ in the past seven days. 

The study said there were some reasons for Disney+'s promising start, including the availability of strong and the variety of content, such as Marvels, Pixar, Star Wars. Hong Kong audiences' habit of paying for video content with the introduction of Netflix and other OTT platforms in the past few years, and the closure of various entertainment venues also contributed to the good start. 

In a previous interview, Scotty Ho, strategy director of Wavemaker said that Disney+'s launching in November 2021 was a big challenge as it had to compete with the well-established players who were already successful in luring subscribers during lockdowns. While the launch of Disney+ could attract a group of Marvel fans and potentially families with kids, the size of these target groups in Hong Kong may be limited.

Despite challenges ahead, Disney+ still has an advantage which is its library of exclusive Marvel TV series content. In April 2021, Disney shut down the majority of its TV channels in Hong Kong in a bid to focus on and grow its streaming services. Quoting The Walt Disney Company, Channel NewsAsia reported that the consolidation of its media networks business is part of the company's "global effort to pivot towards a direct-to-consumer-first model and further grow" its streaming services.

Ho suggested that Disney+ could work on three areas to set it apart from competitors. The platform would need to be able to offer better original content, higher quality video content, and affordable subscription plans are the three key areas that create brand consideration and preference for a paid video streaming service.

Lastly, current subscribers of Netflix and Disney+ are willing to continue to use the services provided by the platforms, with 87% of Netflix customers and 75% of Disney+ customers saying that they are happy to continue the subscription in the future.

"OMG's Video viewing Landscape has provided rich insights into the local market consumption habits over the last six years. We have built a strong foundation of historical data to identify, follow and predict trends. With the rapid evolution of the landscape, we have evolved our format from an annual to a quarterly basis to provide more timely and valuable insights for our clients," Gary Wong, COO of OMG Hong Kong. 

(Photo courtesy: 123rf)

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