Zattoo's 2024 TV streaming report for Austria

Berlin/Zurich, 3rd April 2024 – In 2024, the ongoing economic uncertainty and changes in the media landscape will be reflected in Austrians' TV viewing habits. More and more people are turning to the Internet to watch TV, while the use of satellite and cable TV continues to decline. TV is increasingly being watched via the Internet on smart TVs and thus on the big screen, which shows that Internet TV is now a comprehensive alternative to traditional reception modes. This is the result of Zattoo's 2024 TV Streaming Report for Austria this year.

The report is based on an online survey conducted by YouGov, in which 1102 people in Austria took part between 15 January 2024 and 22 January 2024. The results were weighted and are representative of the Austrian population aged 16 and over. Zattoo has been conducting this survey in Austria every year since 2021. The TV Streaming Report helps identify current developments in Internet and television usage as well as TV streaming. In this way, Zattoo aims to contribute to the discussion on the importance of TV streaming. 

Internet TV continues to grow, whereas satellite and cable TV lose significant ground

The trend towards television via the Internet will continue in 2024. When asked which reception channel they use to watch TV (multiple answers possible), 41 percent of respondents choose the Internet as their TV reception channel of choice. This is another 3 percentage points more than in 2023. TV reception via satellite, on the other hand, will decline significantly this year. Only around one in three (33%) watch cable TV, which is 10 percentage points less than in the previous year. TV reception via cable also lost 3 percentage points this year and is only used by 26 percent of respondents. 

Jörg Meyer, Chief Commercial Officer at Zattoo, categorises the development as follows: "Watching TV via the Internet is now a real alternative to traditional TV reception modes. Because the advantages of Internet TV speak for themselves: the ability to watch content live and have time shifting TV wherever you have Internet connectivity, even on the move and when travelling. This flexibility is reflected in the rising usage numbers, with an increase to 41 percent of respondents choosing the Internet as their preferred TV reception mode in 2024. Simultaneously, we are experiencing a significant decline in traditional reception modes such as satellite and cable."

The use of live TV remains at a constant level. The use of media libraries continues to fall. 

The use of live TV will remain stable in 2024 too. One in four (24%) continues to follow linear TV programmes, therefore maintaining the previous year's level. In contrast, media libraries are continuing their downward trend. At present, only 31 percent of viewers use the media library offers, which corresponds to a significant decline of 13 percentage points compared to the previous year. Since 2021, TV stations' media libraries have been used almost 40 percent less. The use of video-on-demand services is also declining, which fell by 8 percentage points to 21 percent this year. 

TV streaming still preferred on the big screen

More than two thirds (67%) use TV streaming services during their TV viewing time – and are most likely to do so on a smart TV. More than half (52%) of TV streaming users watch TV programmes on a smart TV. In contrast, the use of PCs and laptops recorded a further decline: in 2023, 40 percent of respondents used laptops or PCs for streaming, compared with only 34 percent this year. On the other hand, the use of mobile phones is relatively stable, with a slight decrease in the use of tablets of 5 percentage points to 20 percent, while streaming on smartphones is on an upward trend, increasing by 3 percentage points to 35 percent.

The economic situation continues to influence streaming subscriptions

The persistently tense economic situation is also having an increasing impact on the streaming behaviour of those surveyed. This is why last year, one in five (20%) cancelled a streaming subscription – a significant increase of 7 percentage points compared to the previous year. Of these, more than a third (38%) switched to cheaper streaming services, while 29 percent chose free options. On the other hand, another third (30%) opted out of alternative services altogether. This development highlights consumers' growing need for a good price-performance ratio, also with domestic TV and streaming services, especially in times of economic uncertainty. 

You can download the TV Streaming Report 2024 for Austria here or visit our website at https://zattoo.com/at/en/tv-streaming-report-at.

The individual graphics for the report can be found here.

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