Customer satisfaction with video streaming services far eclipses that of subscription TV service, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) 2018 Telecommunications Report. And Apple’s iTunes is doing well.
Video streaming services make their debut in this year’s telecom report with an ACSI score of 75, far and above subscription TV’s score of 62 – a 3.1% decline over last year. By nearly every measure, customers are more satisfied with streaming options, but some brands stand out more than others.
“Video streaming services significantly outperformed subscription TV,” says David VanAmburg, managing director at the ACSI. “Streaming services don’t have the hidden fees and six-month rates that subscription TV does, not to mention they’re cheaper and simpler. But because consumers don’t have many options when choosing a subscription TV provider, those businesses don’t see a lot of risk in customer dissatisfaction, and we’re unlikely to see dramatic changes any time soon.”
Video streaming services avoid the downsides of other telecom companies. With an ACSI score of 75 (out of 100), video streaming services are the highest-performing telecom industry measured. Netflix, Sony PlayStation Vue, and Twitch all lead the pack, tying at a score of 78. iTunes and the Microsoft Store take second place at 77, with YouTube Red in third at 76.
Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Hulu, and Vudu all sit at the industry average of 75, followed by the network channel subscriptions: CBS All Access at 74, and HBO Now and Starz at 72.
Bringing up the rear are Sling TV (71), DIRECTV NOW (70), Showtime Anytime (70), and Sony Crackle (68). It’s worth noting that even Sony Crackle in last place rates higher than nearly all subscription TV services.
Video streaming services receive high marks for ease of understanding the bill (80), website satisfaction (80), and call centers (75), but customers ding them on availability of the current season’s TV shows (71) and availability of new movie titles (69).
Meanwhile, customer satisfaction with subscription TV falls 3.1 percent to 62, an 11-year low for the industry. Still, while video streaming services receive much better customer satisfaction scores than subscription TV, viewers still need internet access to get it. Unfortunately, Internet service providers (ISPs), along with subscription TV, have the lowest customer satisfaction of all industries tracked by the ACSI.
The ACSI has been a national economic indicator for almost 25 years. It measures and analyzes customer satisfaction with more than 380 companies in 46 industries and 10 economic sectors, including various services of federal and local government agencies. Reported on a scale of 0 to 100, ACSI scores are based on data from interviews with roughly 250,000 customers annually.
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