Authors:
Amber Jawaid, Holly Lyke-Ho-Gland, Cody Webster
Read more about the emotional factors that drive Gen Z subscriptions of video-on-demand streaming services.
Don’t underestimate
Gen Z’s strong emotional ties to streaming
Recent Ipsos TV Dailies research finds that
Streaming video-on-demand continues to dominate the U.S. media landscape in both usage and brand awareness
Key Takeaways
Half of Ipsos Online Community members, regardless of generation, rank streaming video-on-demand as their #1 preferred medium
Gen Z prefers an equal mix of professionally produced and influencer-created content, including content found on social media and video game streams
Gen Z subscriptions are driven by emotional factors and the influence of their social connections
When it comes to generational differences, the latest research from our Ipsos U.S. Syndicated Community points to similarities in overall media and streaming consumption among the different cohorts (Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers).
54% of U.S. households and 49% of
Gen Z subscribed to Netflix as of July
2023. Furthermore, “digital video content (download/streaming)” ranked highest in Statista’s Most Used Media Services survey with 88% of U.S. respondents selecting this as a service they used as of March 2023.
For Gen Z, however, our research finds a more emotional side to decision-making, especially for social influences and other drivers that transcend functional needs.
Where they pull away from the broader norm is their preference for non-traditional mediums—video game streams (e.g., Twitch) and influencer-created content.
Like other generations—including their closest cohort, Millennials—Gen Z ranks long-form media (such as streaming video-on-demand and live television) as their most preferred mediums
However, a third of Gen Z would rather scroll though social media or watch their favorite short-form content (e.g., YouTube or TikTok).
Additionally, when asked about what source of media they prefer, Gen Z is most likely to want an equal mix of professionally produced and creator-or-influencer-created content.
Many of these preferences are driven by the diversity of content or social connections afforded by these mediums, either on their own or in combination with one another.
When asked to describe what they would do with an extra hour in their day, most Gen Z community members said they would typically fire up their favorite streaming service and binge their current show
Average Rank Preference of Medium by Generation
Live Television
Streaming Video-on-Demand
Ad Supported
Video-on-Demand
Transactional
Video-on-Demand
Podcasts
Video Game Streams
Influencer Created Content
All (n=1207)
Gen Z (n=103)
Millennial (n=339)
Source: Ipsos U.S. Syndicated Community, June 2023
Back to Top
Amber Jawaid
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Online Communities
amber.jawaid@ipsos.com
Curious to learn more? Contact us!
Download the Full POV
Authors:
Amber Jawaid, Holly Lyke-Ho-Gland, Cody Webster
Read more about the emotional factors that drive Gen Z subscriptions of video-on-demand streaming services.
Don’t underestimate Gen Z’s strong emotional ties to streaming
Gen Z subscriptions are driven by emotional factors and the influence of their social connections
Gen Z prefers an equal mix of professionally produced and influencer-created content, including content found on social media and video game streams.
Half of Ipsos Online Comm-
unity members, regardless of generation, rank streaming video-on-demand as their #1 preferred medium
Key Takeaways
Streaming video-on-demand continues to dominate the U.S. media landscape in both usage and brand awareness
Recent Ipsos TV Dailies research finds that
54% of U.S. households and 49% of Gen Z subscribed to Netflix as of July 2023. Furthermore, “digital video content (download/streaming)” ranked highest in Statista’s Most Used Media Services survey with 88% of U.S. respondents selecting this as a service they used as of March 2023.
When it comes to generational differences, the latest research from our Ipsos U.S. Syndicated Community points to similarities in overall media and streaming consumption among the different cohorts (Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers).
For Gen Z, however, our research finds a more emotional side to decision-making, especially for social influences and other drivers that transcend functional needs.
Like other generations—
including their closest cohort, Millennials—Gen Z ranks long-form media (such as streaming video-on-demand and live television) as their most preferred mediums
Where they pull away from the broader norm is their preference for non-traditional mediums—video game streams (e.g., Twitch) and influencer-created content.
Average Rank Preference of Medium by Generation
Live
TV
Streaming Video-on-Demand
Ad Supported
Video-on-Demand
Transac-
tional
Video-on-Demand
Pod-casts
Video Game Streams
Influencer Created
Content
Source: Ipsos U.S. Syndicated Community, June 2023
When asked to describe what they would do with an extra hour in their day, most Gen Z community members said they would typically fire up their favorite streaming service and binge their current show
However, a third of Gen Z would rather scroll though social media or watch their favorite short-form content (e.g., YouTube or TikTok).
Additionally, when asked about what source of media they prefer, Gen Z is most likely to want an equal mix of professionally produced and creator-or-influencer-created content.
Many of these preferences are driven by the diversity of content or social connections afforded by these mediums, either on their own or in combination with one another.
Download the Full POV
Back to Top
Amber Jawaid
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Online Communities
amber.jawaid@ipsos.com
Curious to learn more? Contact us!