Binge-watching is on the rise in Singapore as people there spend an average of two hours, 35 minutes in one sitting, according to Limelight Networks’ “State of Online Video” report.
Results show that Singaporeans spend an average of seven hours 37 minutes each week watching online videos, compared to just five hours 44 minutes of watching broadcast video content.
The survey of consumers in nine countries including Singapore shows that while online videos have now overtaken traditional broadcast television in popularity, performance frustrations and cost concerns remain.
Binge-watching is on the rise worldwide, jumping 18% from last year to an average of two hours, 40 minutes at a time. Americans are the biggest binge-watchers with sessions averaging over three hours.
In addition to time spent, Singaporeans are also consuming more online video services, with 64% of them subscribing to at least one streaming service (compared to just 48% in 2018) and nearly three in four (72%) now using dedicated streaming devices (compared to 67% previously).
Expectations for quality experiences are also increasing alongside the rise in online viewing. Although sports are one of the most popular online video content amongst Singaporeans, latency frustration remains a significant cause of concern for viewers and streaming providers alike.
Traditional live online streaming events are generally delayed by 30 seconds or more from the broadcast feed, and more than half of Singaporeans (55%) are more likely to watch live sports online if the stream was not delayed from the broadcast.
Rising prices are the number one reason Singaporeans will cancel their cable or satellite subscription (47%) and streaming services (55%).
Singaporeans are most accepting of ads during an online video if they can skip it (65%) or if it is a short ad before a free video (58%).
Smartphones continue to dominate over computer and smart TV as the preferred device to watch online video. When it comes to streaming on the big screen, Singaporeans prefer to use smart TVs (48%) over other dedicated streaming devices.
