2017/02/07 1/19 HBO Now Beats Netflix in Customer Satisfaction

In a new report from Strategy Analytics, Digital Media Strategies service, HBO Now ranks highest for customer satisfaction in 11 of 14 categories among subscription video on-demand (SVOD) services examined.

The report measured customer satisfaction in 14 categories across three key areas: the number and availability of TV shows/films, how easy it is to find them, and the overall value of the service. HBO Now had the highest score for all but three of the categories examined – availability of children’s programming (Hulu scored top), content recommendations and the cost of the subscription (Netflix topped both).

Click here to see SVOD Customer Satisfaction Study

Hulu outscored Netflix in 6 of the 14 categories, while Amazon Prime was at the bottom in every one. When compared to the other three services, HBO Now scored particularly highly in the availability of current and past season’s TV shows as well as the number of hit movies and original programs.

“HBO Now has successfully positioned itself as a go-to-service for quality programs, especially movies,” noted Zhaowen Wu, Digital Media Strategies analyst. “Though HBO Now has a much smaller library than other SVOD services, it has more blockbuster movie and hit series such as Game of Thrones and Westworld.”

When subscribers were asked to give a single “overall” score for the services, however, Netflix came out on top, with Hulu very narrowly ahead of HBO. Michael Goodman, Director, Digital Media Strategies explains the seeming contradiction, “When considering the bigger picture, Netflix clearly benefits from its brand ‘halo’ whilst HBO Now suffers from a negative association with cable’s legacy issues, however, once one gets into the weeds, the reality is that HBO subscribers are the most satisfied with nearly all elements that make up a strong SVOD service.”

Goodman points out that the difference in scores across most of the elements is relatively small and that Amazon may suffer because video is just one benefit included in a Prime membership. Consequently, this group “may actually be the least likely to churn”, particularly as they’re the most likely to have household incomes above $100K.

“People have been talking about it being a Netflix vs. Amazon battle in terms of which service viewers choose, with the others left to pick up the scraps. However, if HBO continues on this vein, we’re more likely to see a situation where people will have one “blockbuster” service like HBO or HBO Now and either a Netflix or Amazon in support.”

Full table of scores for all 14 categories