The rise of the silver streamer 55+ demographic reshapes video streaming

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The 20,000 Foot View:  2020 brought video streaming into the mainstream, resulting in an aging consumer base as later adopters embraced the digital-first behaviour. With binge viewing typically occurring at the start of on-demand familiarisation, these new streaming subscribers are at risk of succumbing to accelerated churn rates, as savvy switching is likely to follow. Equally significantly, the ‘silver streamer’ influx will likely hinder streaming innovation, with these older consumers inclined towards more traditional video functionality. The        revolution will therefore be transformed by silver streamers into a        evolution.

Key insights

• Lockdowns combined with the        ‘big-bang’ to make streaming mainstream
• This resulted in older demographics becoming a core part of the streaming consumer base
• In        2020, the largest demographic for binge viewing were consumers age        who accounted for        of all binge viewers
• Binge viewing is closely correlated with early adoption of on-demand functionality and is followed by savvy switching
• However, binge viewing among        year olds is as much replicating lean-back linear viewing as it is new adopter streaming behaviour 
• Lean-in binge viewing is being replaced by lean-back binge viewing
• Savvy switching involving strategic subscribing and unsubscribing to specific video services will be the streaming behaviour next adopted by silver streamers
• Silver streamers will inhibit innovation in        as they come to dominate streaming user bases with digital laggard behaviour
• The arrival of the        streamers in        is set to be as disruptive to streaming services as cord-cutting by digital natives has been to traditional pay-TV

Companies and brands mentioned in this report: Amazon, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Comcast, Disney, Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix, Paramount, Paramount+, Peacock, Warner Bros., Warner Media