Singapore – With consumers homebound during the pandemic, online video has been gaining popularity among Singaporeans, with streaming reaching an average of eight hours and 42 minutes per week, according to a study by tech company Limelight Networks. This is higher than the global average of seven hours and 44 minutes per week, a 14% increase from the past year.
The report also showed that four in 10 have subscribed to additional streaming services in the last six months. The longer hours spent at home came out as the top reason for the increase (36%), with the availability of new content emerging as a driver for subscriptions (22%).
Being price cautious, Singaporeans have also resorted to actions to become more economical. More than half, or 55%, of consumers, will cancel a streaming subscription due to high prices, higher than the global average of 47%. Meanwhile, almost three in 10 Singaporeans, or 29%, admit to sharing login information or using someone else’s account. Furthermore, the report also found that for most Singaporeans, delays are a dealbreaker, with 66% stating that they would be more likely to stream an undelayed live event.
In terms of the type of content, TV shows and movies are the most popular, with both being watched by Singaporeans for an average of four hours and 24 minutes weekly.
Globally, watching user-generated content has doubled over the past year to an average of four hours per week. In Singapore, YouTube dominates as the most preferred platform for watching user-generated content (68%), followed by Facebook (12%).
Edwin Koh, director of Southeast Asia at Limelight Networks said “Online video demand has clearly accelerated in Singapore this year, especially with so many people turning to video for entertainment, information, and communication as they spend more time at home due to COVID-19. Our research shows that with the rise in viewers and subscriptions, it is critical that content providers have the right combination of the content consumers want, the infrastructure to scale to meet demand and technology to give them the best possible viewing experiences.”
