Android boxes and voice assistants growing, too
MORE CANADIANS THAN ever are streaming Netflix, and many are using connected televisions to do it, according to the latest research from Toronto’s Solutions Research Group.
SRG’s latest edition of Digital Life Canada was based on 1,000 interviews conducted in February 2018 and it shows Netflix has ensconced itself in a majority homes – and that other new technology is rapidly becoming mainstream. (Digital Life Canada is an ongoing, independent syndicated survey series which SRG has been running for a dozen years.)
According to the research, 57% of online households in Canada (6.7 million) said they streamed from Netflix in the last month, up from 48% who said the same just months prior, in October 2017. Seems as though many Canadians got Netflix for Christmas.
SRG is estimating the actual number of Canadian Netflix subscriber accounts is 6.1M in Canada, excluding multiple household use of the same account. (see image below on the trend since 2011. Click to enlarge.)
The survey also found that Amazon Prime Video is primed for more growth. Seventy-seven percent are aware of the service, up from 67% – and 7% of online households streamed from there in the last month, up from 5% in October.
The report also found that 4.5 million Canadian homes now have a dedicated video streaming device (Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku, etc.) attached to at least one TV, a rate which has doubled, from 19% in early 2015 to 38% in February 2018. (see image below. Click to enlarge.)
As well, 12% of online households reported having an Android box, with Kodi as the leading name.
“In our February 2018 research, we’ve observed the highest level of single-play Internet-only households (no paid TV) we have ever seen in Canada.” – Solutions Research Group
With all these ways to see TV, internet-only households are now nearly a fifth of the market. “In our February 2018 research, we’ve observed the highest level of single-play Internet-only households (no paid TV) we have ever seen in Canada. Nearly one-in-five (19.6%) Internet households did not have a TV subscription, up from 16.5% in 2017 and nearly double the rate of 10.5% in 2013,” continues the report.
Voice assistants are also growing in popularity, reads the research. One-in-four respondents (25%) said they used a voice assistant (Siri, Google Assistant, Cortana, Alexa, etc.) in the past week, up from 21% last year
“Awareness is up considerably for Amazon Alexa (71% now vs. 49% in May 2017) and also Google Assistant (now 75%), both now close to Apple’s Siri,” reads the release.
“Ownership of smart home devices like Google Home and Amazon Echo are low single digits (3% to 5% range) but interest is in the 30% range suggesting strong growth potential this year.”
Finally, notes the report: “we are living in Amazon’s world as the e-commerce giant continues to increase its reach.”
- 72% of online Canadians bought something online in the last month, up from 65% in October 2016
- Amazon increased its top-of-mind dominance – 77% mention Amazon – unaided – as the place they shop most often, up from 53% in August 2014
- Amazon Prime membership which offers free two-day shipping for $79 per year is now 19% of online households, up from 13% two years ago
Click images to enlarge.
