OTT 'Heavy Users' Increased... 20s Watch Average 49 Minutes Per Session

'OTT Popularization' Trend Accelerates
Multiple Daily Accesses
Teens to 20s Watch Average 48-49 Minutes Per Session

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] The number of young people who access online video services (OTT) such as Netflix, Wavve, and Watcha Play multiple times a day and watch content for about an hour is increasing.

In particular, accessibility to domestic OTTs is increasing through bundled discounts with IPTV, and the culture of consuming content at home due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is expected to further accelerate the 'OTT popularization.'

According to the report "Characteristics and Usage Patterns of OTT Service Users" published by the Korea Information Society Development Institute on the 18th, the overall OTT service usage rate was 41% (44% for men and 38% for women). This is based on a survey of about 1,027 households across 17 metropolitan cities and provinces nationwide last year.

In particular, the OTT service usage rate for people in their 20s was 65.4%, and for those in their 30s, it was 62%. This means that more than six out of ten people in their 20s and 30s access OTTs like Netflix, Wavve, and Watcha to watch movies, dramas, and entertainment programs. Additionally, the rates were 48.4% for teenagers, 47.2% for people in their 40s, 35.5% for those in their 50s, and 19.8% for those in their 60s. There were many OTT 'heavy users' mainly among teenagers and people in their 20s, who consume large amounts of data.

The frequency of OTT viewing was higher among younger age groups. 34.5% of teenagers said they use OTT services "multiple times a day," and 27.8% of people in their 20s responded similarly. The average usage time per session by age group was longest for people in their 20s at 49 minutes, followed by teenagers (48 minutes), people in their 30s and 40s (32 minutes), those in their 50s (27 minutes), and those in their 60s (19 minutes). Especially, users in their teens and 20s were found to access OTT multiple times a day and watch OTT content for nearly 50 minutes per session.

An OTT industry official stated, "As OTT consumption becomes popular among young people, the market size is expected to continue expanding. In fact, due to COVID-19, the number of customers subscribing to multiple OTT groups is also increasing." The official added, "Although the surge in subscribers is currently seen mainly with the leading company Netflix, as domestic original content production increases, the paid subscriber base for domestic OTTs will also be strengthened."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.