Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus Risk Adding to Video Streaming Confusion

Nearly three decades ago, Bruce Springsteen diagnosed the conundrum of the cable TV viewer with the hit song “57 Channels (And Nothin’ On).” In a sea of infinite choice, it’s easy to feel lost, the Boss sang.

Video streaming, at least in the early days of Netflix and Hulu, seemed to have solved that problem by putting a huge amount of video content under one or two well-organized apps. But streaming has since splintered into dozens of mostly smaller services, and a new survey conducted for the viewing guide Likewise finds a lot of irritation.

Nearly half of streaming users think they spend too much time trying to find new things to watch. Meanwhile, 44% say navigating multiple services is “frustrating and confusing.”

In other words: Meet the new confusing TV landscape, same as the old one.

“Streaming fatigue” or “subscription fatigue” has become a watchword over the past year, with consulting firm Deloitte reporting similar survey results in March. The phenomenon has emerged as new services like CBS All Access, HBO Now, and YouTube TV multiplied.

But it’s poised to get much more acute starting in the next few weeks when Apple TV Plus and Disney Plus arrive, with big marketing pushes and marquee shows that are sure to make for some hard choices. Apple’s new shows feature big stars like Jennifer Aniston and Jason Momoa (though critical response so far is decidedly mixed). Disney Plus will include a huge slate of content from Disney’s Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars.

Then there’s HBO Max, a service coming in spring 2020 from AT&T that features both HBO shows and other original and classic programming. Highlighting the potential confusion, Max will be the third streaming service to feature the HBO name. AT&T, clearly aware of the crowded market, said Friday that HBO Max will be free for existing HBO subscribers.

In addition to spotlighting user confusion, the Likewise survey, based on responses from 1,501 U.S. residents, gives some insight into the impending fight for subscribers.

It found that 41% of existing streaming users would consider subscribing to Disney Plus, compared to 25% who would consider subscribing to Apple TV Plus. The most enthusiasm for Disney Plus came from respondents aged 25-34, with 60% saying they would consider subscribing to the service. Apple TV Plus garnered the most interest among 18-24 year olds, 35% of whom said they would consider subscribing.

Interest in Apple TV Plus was neck-and-neck with HBO Max, which 25% of respondents said they would consider. That’s well ahead of Peacock, a streaming service coming next year from NBCUniversal, which only 8% of respondents said they would consider.

Streamers are also inclined to experiment with new services: of those already subscribed to two to four services, 48% said they expect to subscribe to a new service within the next year. And 36% of respondents who subscribed to more than one streaming service said they plan to cancel at least one within the next year. Those numbers highlight how tenuous subscriber loyalty is when it’s so easy to drop or switch services.

That’s particularly ominous for Netflix. Research firm eMarketer recently reported that 87% of streaming subscribers have Netflix. So a lot of consumers considering cancelling a service will be weighing the value of Netflix specifically, while being courted by giants bearing Star Wars.