Australian streaming apps from TV brands chip away at Netflix dominance

More Australians are turning to local streaming video platforms, according to new data, threatening the dominance of Netflix in the country.

While Disney+ remained the top downloaded entertainment app in the country in the last 12 months, with almost 2m downloads, Netflix came in fourth after Amazon and TikTok, according to the data from Sensor Tower.

Four Australian brands took spots in the top 10 – the streaming apps of Nine, ABC, Seven and Stan. All but Stan are free streaming on demand platforms.

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Sensor Tower tracks the number of new downloads from both the Apple and Android stores.

Last month Netflix reported its second quarterly decline in subscriptions globally, dropping 1m subscribers in the quarter.

Sensor Tower’s APAC managing director, Tom Cui, said while Netflix was still the dominant player, there was room for locals.

“When many people think of streaming services, it’s Netflix, Amazon and Disney that spring to mind,” he said. “What our Sensor Tower data has shown is that actually, homegrown streaming services are giving these global brands a run for their money in terms of both popularity and revenue.”

In terms of estimated revenue, Streamotion – the Foxtel-owned platform for Binge and sporting stream company Kayo – beat out Netflix with $15.1m in the past 12 months in Australia, compared to $12.3m for Netflix. Disney Plus was also estimated to beat out both, with $56.1m, followed by TikTok ($28m) and Amazon ($17.6m).

“Streamotion is a key performer with its sporting service, Kayo, ranking higher than most entertainment apps for revenue in Australia,” Cui said. “This is a reflection of how much Aussies love their live sport and if you work in the streaming industry, this is where you can expect to continue to see a surge in consumer downloads and spend.”

PwC’s entertainment and media outlook for 2022 found that Australians spent $4.8bn on subscription services last year, and that was projected to rise to $6.5bn by 2026.

The report found 75% of households in Australia were paying for a streaming service in 2021, and that was expected to rise to over 80% this year. The average household was paying for 2.3 subscription services, spending $40 a month.

A Roy Morgan survey in February found Netflix still dominated in terms of total subscriptions, up to 12m, compared to 7m for the group of Foxtel apps, and 4.7m for Stan. The Guardian