Thai consumers’ behaviour using video streaming platform during COVID-19 pandemic: a comparative analysis of Netflix and Viu

The development of new technologies, which has involved the shift from traditional analogue technologies to digital ones, has greatly changed consumers’ viewing behaviour. The growth of Over-The-Top (OTT) technology has increased due to emerging varieties of digital OTT platforms and improved internet service provisions. The use of OTT services or video streaming platforms is one of the activities on which people are now spending a significant proportion of their time, on average around three hours a day. In 2020, consumers’ behaviour worldwide changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The spread of COVID-19 has greatly affected lifestyles and consumers’ behaviour. In addition, physical distancing measures and lockdown measures used to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have forced people to stay at home instead of undertaking social activities such as going to concerts and cinemas. This study examines Thai consumers’ characteristics and behaviour when using video streaming platforms during both the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 pandemic periods. The analysis uses data obtained from online questionnaires to compare users’ behaviour between two types of platforms: (1) paid-subscription-based and (2) non-paid-subscription-based video streaming platforms. Specifically, it focuses on the two main video streaming platforms used most by Thais, namely Netflix and Viu. Netflix is a paid-subscription-based video streaming platform, while Viu is a non-paid-subscription-based video streaming platform. The study identifies consumers’ behaviour using video streaming platforms by comparing Netflix and Viu users during Pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19. The result collected from 470 respondents from four groups of respondents consist of: (1) users who use only Netflix, (2) users who use only Viu, (3) users who use both Netflix and Viu, and (4) users who neither use Netflix nor Viu. The result shows that during the Pre-COVID-19 people has already subscribed Netflix and Viu but during the COVID-19 pandemic, people have the condition to stay more at home which is one of the reasons that affect an increasing number of subscriptions and use more frequently. The result also shows that respondents mostly choose the mobile as a device for watching video content and mostly has similar consuming behaviour. Other variables such as marketing mix strategy focuses on 4Ps (Product, Price, Place, and Promotion) influence users to use more video streaming services as well, and it is proposed that the results of this research could be useful for OTT services marketers and researchers to better understand OTT consumers’ preferences.

从传统模拟技术向数字技术转型的新技术发展，极大地改变了消费者的观影行为。随着各类数字过顶流媒体（Over-The-Top，OTT）平台的涌现与互联网服务供给质量的提升，过顶流媒体技术的应用规模持续扩张。当前，人们已将日均相当大比例的时间投入到OTT服务或视频流媒体平台的使用中，日均时长约为三小时。2020年，受新冠疫情（COVID-19）影响，全球消费者行为发生了显著转变。新冠疫情的蔓延极大地冲击了民众的生活方式与消费行为；此外，为遏制疫情扩散而实施的社交距离管控措施与封控政策，迫使民众居家而非参与演唱会、影院观影等线下社交活动。本研究旨在考察新冠疫情前后，泰国消费者使用视频流媒体平台的行为特征与使用习惯。本研究通过在线问卷采集数据，对比两类视频流媒体平台的用户行为：（1）付费订阅型平台与（2）非付费订阅型平台，并重点聚焦泰国民众使用最广泛的两大主流视频流媒体平台——奈飞（Netflix）与Viu：其中奈飞为付费订阅型平台，Viu为非付费订阅型平台。本研究通过对比新冠疫情前后奈飞与Viu的用户行为，识别消费者使用视频流媒体平台的行为特征。本次研究共回收470份有效问卷，受访者分为四组：（1）仅使用奈飞的用户、（2）仅使用Viu的用户、（3）同时使用奈飞与Viu的用户，以及（4）既不使用奈飞也不使用Viu的用户。研究结果显示，早在新冠疫情前，已有消费者订阅奈飞与Viu；疫情期间，民众居家时长显著增加，这是推动订阅用户数量增长与使用频率提升的核心动因之一。此外，研究结果还表明，多数受访者选择移动设备作为视频内容播放终端，且用户的消费行为整体较为相似。包括产品、价格、渠道、推广在内的4P营销组合策略，同样会对用户使用视频流媒体服务的频次产生正向影响；本研究结果可为OTT服务的营销人员与研究者更好地理解OTT消费者偏好提供有益参考。