Comscore Shows 30 Percent Year-Over-Year Increase in Video on Demand Transactions

Reston, Va., April 8, 2020 –The latest insights from Comscore (NASDAQ: SCOR), a trusted partner for planning, transacting, and evaluating media across platforms, show a significant increase in video on demand (VOD) consumption as millions of Americans seek entertainment while complying with pandemic public health safety measures. Further driving the March 2020 VOD viewing surge is that in reaction to this unprecedented situation, studios shifted some of their big screen content to on-demand platforms.

Looking at all set-top box-based VOD (including Free on Demand, Subscription Video on Demand, Transactional on Demand and Electronic Sell-Through), the month of March saw a nearly 30 percent increase in average transactions per household that subscribes to VOD year-over-year – with the average subscribing household accessing, purchasing or renting 16 titles of VOD content over the course of the month. That’s nearly four more transactions per VOD subscribing household than in March 2019. 

Of the VOD subcategories, Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) had the highest growth, with a 53% increase in average transactions per subscribing household from March 2019 vs. March 2020. Free on Demand (FOD) was next with a 21% increase for the same time period.

When looking week-by-week, Comscore’s research shows a steady upward climb for VOD in general with the week of March 29, 2020 having the highest growth for 2020 thus far at +57% vs. the same week in 2019. Of the subcategories, SVOD was the standout. SVOD saw an 116% the week of March 29 from the same week in 2019, while FOD and TOD saw 38% and nearly 41% increases, respectively.

When focusing in on key genres within set top VOD, the largest increase for transactions in March 2020 vs. March 2019 are observed in “Fitness” (+147%), “Life and Home” (+64%), “Premium” (+54%) (e.g., HBO, Showtime, and Starz content). Meanwhile, “Music” is down 10% for the same time period comparison.