It’s only taken six weeks for the US streaming service Netflix to take up a commanding lead in the local video streaming wars if hits to its Aussie website are to be believed.
According to data by research company Experian Hitwise and published in today’s The Australian, on the day of its launch into the Australian market on March 24 the Netflix site received more than 475,000 visitors. By Easter it was receiving over 800,000 unique visitors per day.
Although the Hitwise data needs to be interpreted with caution. The SVODs in Australia – including Netflix – all offer free trials and the Hitwise data only records hit to their respective websites and not the take-up levels of paid subscriptions.
The other main players – Foxtel’s Presto and the Fairfax and Nine JV Stan – both averaged less than 50,000 site visits per day. However, the News article said Stan had questioned the Hitwise data because it “did not record the sub-domain data where Stan hosted its plays”.
However, the Hitwise data does mirror other metrics that have shown that Netflix is already the dominant player in the Australian market. It is understood that Netflix never publicly reveals its subscriber base which is an edict of the US head office.
Netflix has bragged that its (very successful) launch into the Australian market was done without any traditional media spend on TV or outdoor and was done purely through digital. However, it must be said Netflix’s partners – iiNet, Optus and Fetch TV – have heavily spruiked the deal (including the six month free Netflix subscription) via traditional media including large OOH campaigns.
The Australian quoted Venture Consulting figures that showed 32 per cent of Australians were aware of Netflix and a quarter were aware of Stan. Both high figures for such new brands and services.
