The relaxation of lockdowns prompted by the pandemic looks set to change Latin Americans’ consumption habits. But to what extent?
It is impossible to think about the present without bearing the past in mind. Therefore, in order to analyze Latin Americans’ current attitudes towards streaming services, it is worth referring back to the report which we developed in 2020, which addressed similar topics. Nor does it make sense to consider this period in time without taking into consideration the pandemic which has affected the lives of all Latin Americans.
Last year, the pandemic led to a marked increase in Latin America’s streaming sector, which was already gaining ground at the regional level. As official lockdown measures were implemented to protect the population and halt the spread of the virus, people began looking for entertainment, beyond their traditional television channels and cable services.
After more than a year of working in front of a screen, taking classes in front of a screen, doing yoga in front of a screen, having countless meetings in front of a screen and even having dinner with on-screen friends, the pandemic finally seems to be easing up. So the question arises once again: how many people use streaming services in Latin America?
The study which we at Sherlock Communications recently carried out raises other questions too: after all this time, have Latin Americans grown tired of being in front of the screen? Do they want to stay in front of a device in their spare time?
3,275 people from Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru answered all of these questions and more.
Currently, Netflix is still the “king” in Latin America, with more users among our study’s respondents than any other streaming service. Across the six countries surveyed, more than 65% favour this platform, which currently has about 39 million users throughout Latin America.
Unlike other regions around the world, Netflix “only” experienced an annual increase of 1% in Latin America. This is quite different from the United States and Canada, for example, where the annual increase is 10%; or the Asia-Pacific area, where Netflix grew by 9% over the same period.
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Chile and Mexico all have the same second-favourite streaming service: Amazon Prime. The platform was most popular in Brazil, where 16% of respondents named it as their preferred service.
Further down the list, HBO Max has also made an impression thanks to its in-house shows; as has Disney Plus, with its mix of longtime classics and new releases.
As vaccination against the virus progresses across the region, many long-lasting restrictions have been relaxed, and the prospect of going out and leading a more active social life is close at hand.
In this scenario, we examined whether users plan to unsubscribe from streaming services, only to discover that, for 35% of respondents in the region, the reopening of activities will not have any impact in this regard.
According to our report, “even with external activities, I won’t cut down on the time spent on streaming platforms or cable television”, affirms 40% of respondents in Brazil, as well as 37% in Colombia and Mexico, 35% in Argentina and 31% in both Chile and Peru.”.
To read Sherlock Communications’ full report on streaming consumption, you can click the link and download it for free.
Find out in detail how many people use streaming services in Latin America, which services they prefer, whether their consumption is likely to vary once restrictions are eased, and the reasons behind their preferences, among other details. Download it now!
