Disney an early streaming winner as Americans are stuck indoors amid coronavirus pandemic

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At-home entertainment is seeing a dramatic surge amid the coronavirus pandemic, with streaming platforms like Disney+ (DIS) and Netflix (NFLX) benefitting.

Analytics platform EDO, Inc. surveyed 6,800 Americans from March 24 to March 28, finding that approximately 85% of respondents said their at-home television and movie consumption has increased since the coronavirus outbreak began. A fifth of surveyors added that they purchased a new streaming app as a result of the quarantine.

(Source: EDO, Inc.)
(Source: EDO, Inc.)

Disney-owned properties Disney+ and Hulu, at 29% and 21%, respectively, received the highest number of new subscriptions (although many respondents were already subscribers of other services).

In any case, it’s clear that Netflix is facing more competition as the appetite for streaming intensifies. According to a recent report from Nielsen, video streaming has nearly doubled in less than two years — now making up 19% of total TV usage.

People watch Disney's 'Bambi' in Dortmund, Germany, on March 27, 2020. (Photo: INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images)
People watch Disney's 'Bambi' in Dortmund, Germany, on March 27, 2020. (Photo: INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images)

And with both Disney+ and Apple TV+ at lower price points ($6.99 and $4.99, respectively), along with newcomers HBO Max (T) and NBC Universal’s Peacock (CMCSA) entering the race this spring, the competition will become even more crowded.

Meanwhile, viewers have more options than ever, and streaming services are adapting to the current reality. On Friday, HBO made over 500 hours of programming — including popular series “The Sopranos,” “Veep,” “Succession,” and “The Wire” — available to stream for free on its HBO Now and HBO Go services.

(Graphic: David Foster/Yahoo Finance)
(Graphic: David Foster/Yahoo Finance)

9% of Netflix users watched 'Tiger King' so far

Netflix still leads on a global level with the platform nabbing over 59 million downloads in the first quarter of 2020 — the most out of any other service, according to mobile intelligence company Apptopia and customer engagement platform Braze.

“Tiger King” has captivated Netflix viewers as the Americans remain stuck inside amid the coronavirus (CTSY: Netflix)
“Tiger King” has captivated Netflix viewers as the Americans remain stuck inside amid the coronavirus (CTSY: Netflix)

The new show “Tiger King” has held the top spot on Netflix’s Top 10 List for nearly two weeks now — capturing over 9% of the platform’s total viewers last month, according to 7Park Data. Although the series still lags behind “Ozark” (13.5%) and “The Office” (11.5%), the viewership share is impressive considering its March 20th release date.

And “Tiger King’s” cumulative search engagement, EDO Inc.’s metric for analyzing a show’s total online engagement and overall interest, was significantly higher when compared to HBO’s “Chernobyl” and Hulu’s “The Act” — “astonishing levels” given the show’s lack of advertising leading up to its release.

(Source: EDO, Inc.)
(Source: EDO, Inc.)

Alexandra Canal is a Producer and Entertainment Correspondent at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alliecanal8193

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