It’s an experience many of us are familiar with. You turn on your TV, and with no clear idea of what you want to watch, you flick through the hundreds of shows and movies on offer. You scroll and scroll, yet come no closer to a decision.
With so many streaming platforms available, together carrying thousands of TV shows and movies, discovering something new to watch has become increasingly challenging for Canadians.
According to our Video-on-Demand Evolution 2024 survey, four out of 10 streamers in Canada said that it usually takes “far too long” to find something worth watching, which rises to almost half (48%) for those under 35, while a third (35%) describe the process as “stressful”.
It’s a real problem for many Canadians, though it’s a problem advertisers can have a hand in solving. Before finding out how, let’s consider the magnitude of the problem, and how streamers are trying to deal with it.
Most Canadians have spent more than 15 minutes searching for something to watch
Our Video-on-Demand Evolution 2024 study found that most (54%) streamers usually spend at least five minutes trying to find something to watch, and almost the same proportion (52%) have spent a quarter of an hour or more searching.
Canadian streamers spend an average of 13 minutes finding something to watch – that’s about how long it takes to watch three-quarters of a sitcom episode. The longest time streamers have taken to find something to watch, on average, is 28 minutes.
Question: When you’re undecided what you want to watch from your TV Streaming services, what’s the average amount of time you spend looking for something; and what’s the longest you’ve spent looking for something to watch?
Streamers care more about content being easy to find than who makes it
For most streamers, who makes or delivers the content doesn’t matter, they just want the TV or movies they seek to be easy to find.
To avoid making a decision, many streamers will simply opt for what they know. Our Video-on-Demand Evolution 2024 study found that 70% of Canadian streamers rewatch TV programmes or films, and that this rewatched content makes up 18% of total TV watched.
FAST channels also let users take the pain of decision making out of their streaming experience. These channels mimic the linear TV experience by scheduling content that’s often themed around a genre, or show a single TV programme, so streamers can simply tune into something they know they’ll enjoy. Our survey also found that about a fifth (19%) of Canadian streamers started using a new FAST channel in the last year, with nearly a quarter (24%) of BVOD and AVOD users doing the same.
According to a 2023 study by Vevo and Publicis, this ease of finding content to watch is an important driver of streamers’ use and enjoyment of the channels. They found that FAST channels receive the greatest proportion of streamers who turn on with nothing specific in mind.
Streamers like the content that FAST channels offer, as well as the fact that they make it easy to find something they’ll enjoy.
There’s no winning strategy for finding something to watch
When it comes to discovering new content to watch, our research showed that there’s no dominant method among streamers.
While on the streaming platform, users will try an average of 3.8 different ways to find new content to watch. The most popular of these – notably each used by less than half of all streamers – are searching by genre (cited by 42%), going to the ‘just released’ section (42%), and looking at what is ‘trending’ or most popular (34%).
This is the perfect moment for brands to become part of the user experience. When searching for something to watch, streamers are in the discovery mindset – they’re in consideration mode and more open to suggestions. While in this state, brands have an opportunity to make a greater impression on the streamer, and even play a part in helping them decide what to watch.
Question: How do you discover, or would you prefer to discover, what to consider watching?
How to reach TV streamers while they’re in consideration mode
The enormous volume of TV and movie content at our fingertips isn’t going anywhere. To engage with their audiences, brands need to be where they are, whether that’s in the 30-second spot, or while they’re in consideration mode.
With Roku’s ad options, brands can be part of helping streamers find something right for them, and fast. Advertisers can offer suggested shows and movies, as well as curated playlists within The Roku Channel, to create experiences that are not only smoother, but more delightful as a problem has been solved for them.
An example of a show presented by Best Buy, displayed on the home screen to all users when they turn on their Roku.
With ad formats that appear on the home screen, content discovery is possible from the moment the streamer turns on their TV. No more scrolling aimlessly for 28 minutes.
Source: Roku VOD Evolution 2024. Canadian adult internet users. Base: All respondents/ all streamers/ non-streamers (2,036 / 1,535/ 501).
