Content Availability in U.S. at an All Time High

On March 17, 2016, SNL Kagan released a new study entitled “U.S. Availability of Film and TV Titles in the Digital Age,” which quantifies the availability and growth of legitimate digital offerings of film and TV series in the U.S. based on a review of 33 major online video on-demand distributors and 14 TV everywhere on-demand services.

Key findings from the study include:

• 98% of premium films and 94% of premium TV series were digitally available on at least one of the reviewed online services.

• 97% of premium films were digitally available on at least one of the reviewed online video on-demand services – up from 94% in 2013. The report also found that 93% of premium TV series were digitally available on at least one of the reviewed online video on-demand services – up from 85% in 2013.

• On TV Everywhere on-demand services, which provide online access via an authenticated paid subscription, 96% of premium films and 82% of premium TV series were digitally available on at least one of the services reviewed.

• 95% of premium films and 84% of premium TV series were digitally available on at least five of reviewed online services. 

Additionally, a new study from FX Networks found that the number of scripted series has increased 94 percent from 2009 to 2014. Consumers have many choices regarding video devices and online video services. It is pretty clear that there is more video content available for consumers today than ever before, despite FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s recent statement that “consumers essentially have no choices.” (See FSF’s new infographic on the FCC’s set-top box proposal.)

The findings from the SNL Kagan study are important when considering the misguided regulations proposed by the FCC to add mandates to set-top boxes and lock in old technology. It is clear from this study that the video market is moving online rapidly, but the FCC’s proposal could stifle this innovative transition, harming the creative process and the growth in consumer choice.

The United States is a leader in providing strong IP rights protections for the creative community. This has helped create the dynamic, growing market for video services, but the FCC’s proposal could reverse this progress by jeopardizing the protection of copyrighted content.