The coronavirus lockdowns are boosting Netflix, but leaving Hulu lagging behind

Streaming platforms are benefiting from coronavirus lockdown orders — and quarantined families may be contributing most to the boom.

Hub Entertainment Research, which surveyed 2,000 U.S. consumers during the month of April who watch at least one hour of TV per week, recently found that 94% of self-isolating families with children pay for at least one streaming subscription. Yet that number dips to 82% for those self-isolating without kids, and falls even further for those not self-isolating and with no children at home.

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To put those numbers in perspective, out of all Hub’s respondents, 78% said they own at least one streaming platform in 2020, which is six percentage points higher than 2019’s results. It backs recent evidence that suggests stay-at-home measures is bolstering interest in streaming, which are then translating into subscription buys.

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="The data gets more interesting when Hub drilled down into exactly which platforms got the most benefit. Netflix (NFLX) — which just reported a big surge in subscribers — led the way amongst quarantined families with 83%, followed by Amazon Prime Video (AMZN) and Disney+ (DIS).” data-reactid=”30″>The data gets more interesting when Hub drilled down into exactly which platforms got the most benefit. Netflix (NFLX) — which just reported a big surge in subscribers — led the way amongst quarantined families with 83%, followed by Amazon Prime Video (AMZN) and Disney+ (DIS).

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Meanwhile, Hulu lagged in popularity with just 41% — and tellingly, Apple’s (AAPL) nascent Plus service didn’t appear to make the cut.” data-reactid=”31″>Meanwhile, Hulu lagged in popularity with just 41% — and tellingly, Apple’s (AAPL) nascent Plus service didn’t appear to make the cut.

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“What our study shows is exactly where they’re turning to fill their newly found viewing time—primarily to streaming services that offer a combination of exclusive originals, family-friendly titles, and older shows that can provide a bit of nostalgic solace during this unprecedented and stressful time,” Peter Fondulas, principal at Hub and co-author of the study, said in a statement.

Netflix checks most of those boxes from strong originals like “Ozark” and “Stranger Things,” to more classic titles like “The Office” and “Gilmore Girls.”

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<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="One streamer that seems to be falling behind is Disney-owned Hulu. In a separate study conducted by 7Park Data, Hulu also struggled to match its competitors — with average household minutes dropping for the month of April despite stay-at-home restrictions.” data-reactid=”56″>One streamer that seems to be falling behind is Disney-owned Hulu. In a separate study conducted by 7Park Data, Hulu also struggled to match its competitors — with average household minutes dropping for the month of April despite stay-at-home restrictions.

Meanwhile, Netflix once again dominated the space, securing the most viewing minutes for the month with consumers spending 50% more time on the platform compared to January, according to 7Park.

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<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="But the competition will soon be heating up with HBO Max (T) entering the streaming wars at the end of May — and the platform is leaning on some serious star power to help drum up some buzz.” data-reactid=”69″>But the competition will soon be heating up with HBO Max (T) entering the streaming wars at the end of May — and the platform is leaning on some serious star power to help drum up some buzz.

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Earlier this week, HBO Max revealed that pop star and actress Selena Gomez will be hosting a quarantine cooking show, as the streamer looks for creative ways to generate content amid the coronavirus.” data-reactid=”70″>Earlier this week, HBO Max revealed that pop star and actress Selena Gomez will be hosting a quarantine cooking show, as the streamer looks for creative ways to generate content amid the coronavirus.

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