UI more important to OTT users than content recommendations, claims report

Service users are more likely to recommend a platform based on the quality of the user interface (UI) than they are on content recommendations.

According to new research from Parks Associates, 70% of US broadband households with a major video service consider its user interface to be good, with 48% rating it “very good”. The study, UI Preferences and Content Discovery, found that the quality of the UI and the ease of finding content are the most likely factors to drive willingness to recommend a video service.

The research looks at consumer preferences related to new UI options and the ways that consumers find, and want to find, entertainment content. It also explores preferences by owners of various in-home devices and examines interest in new innovations such as smart speakers, personal assistants, and voice interaction.

In total, the study found that one-fifth of households cancel an OTT subscription based on an inability to find something to watch.

Kristen Hanich, senior analyst at Parks Associates said: “User interfaces are a key factor driving satisfaction for OTT services, and Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon – the big three in OTT streaming – have largely set the standard for content navigation and ease of use. Other services have had to follow similar structures established by these three, but as new OTT services launch with greater and greater expectations, innovations in UIs could be an even greater differentiator contributing to their success or failure.”

“Consumers are interested in finding particular shows or genres of content and have less interest in browsing by channel.”