Both Netflix and Facebook are still chasing YouTube in the international online video service popularity contest. But, Netflix is continuing to set itself apart as the runner-up.
Ampere Analysis issued its latest barometer – in which it surveyed 41,000 respondents in more than 20 markets during the first quarter of 2019 – and found that since the third quarter of 2016, U.S. and European viewers of videos on Facebook have declined from 28% to 23% of internet respondents.
During the same time span, YouTube also declined in views (from 70% to 66% of respondents) while Netflix rose by 15 percentage points from 22% to 37% of respondents. Amazon viewers have increased nine points.
RELATED: Facebook Watch now attracts over 720M people monthly
Facebook’s declines in video viewership come as the company has taken steps to place more emphasis on original content and engagement and less on passive video views. Last month, about one year after the international launch of original content platform Facebook Watch, the company said there are more than 720 million people monthly and 140 million people daily who spend at least one minute in Watch. Daily visitors average more than 26 minutes in Watch every day.
According to Ampere, 27% of respondents said they were likely to have watched a video on Facebook in the past month. Netflix scored 39% and YouTube scored 63% on the same question.
"YouTube’s global dominance in this space is evident in its monthly usage. The differences in viewing between the USA and Europe in relation to catch up and SVOD services is interesting because it shows that SVOD providers will have to work harder in Europe to grow their share as they take on traditional TV channels’ catch up services. This could be through their catalog, price-points or communications strategy,” said Minal Modha, consumer research lead at Ampere Analysis, in a statement.