Ofcom survey reveals Netflix and Amazon numbers

Netflix has 4.4 million paying customers in the UK according to communications regulator Ofcom and Amazon Prime Instant Video 1.2 million.

The numbers were contained in Ofcom’s annual Communications Market Report. The regulator said that 15% of its survey respondents now use an SVOD service more regularly than a year ago (while 7% were using SVOD less).

The Amazon numbers suggest a decent turnaround for the service. The previous Ofcom Communications research reported ‘a dramatic decline’ in numbers in the wake of LoveFilm being folded into the wider Amazon Prime proposition. As of April 2014, the unique audience was under one million.

At the same point Netflix has 3.9 million visitors, suggesting growth of about 500,000 over the subsequent year. Ofcom previously attributed Netflix’s success in the UK to its original content strategy, specifically citing House of Cards.

Its latest research, however, that while Netflix and Amazon have invested heavily into original scripted and kids programming, the main reason for subscribing to a streaming service was access to a back catalogue of movies.

It reports that 75% of paying SVOD customers in the UK watch films, 49% US series, 37% UK series and just 31% original programmingsuch as House of Cards. About 23% access kids programming via their SVOD service.