"Netflix and Watflow Binge-Watched" Increase in OTT Usage Due to COVID-19 Impact

Remote Work, Social Distancing... Surge in OTT Usage
Netflix Mobile App Usage Hits Record High This Year
Official: "Viewing Time Increased... Especially Content on Economic Crisis Gains Share"

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[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] # Office worker A (30), who has been working from home for over a month, recently subscribed to Netflix to make use of the increased leisure time. A said that they binge-watched dramas recommended by acquaintances such as "Anne with an E," "Black Mirror," and "Money Heist." A said, "While working from home, I think I kept Netflix on except for working hours. I watched dramas all day long, even while eating and on weekends when I had no plans. When else would I be able to binge-watch dramas like this? I plan to watch as much as possible before returning to commuting."

# Office worker B (26) uses a total of four OTT services. B said, "I've been using Netflix for over two years, and I've been using Watcha Play for about a year." B added, "Because all gatherings and appointments were canceled due to COVID-19, I also started using Wavve and Apple TV+." B continued, "If you use only one service, you tend to think 'there's nothing really worth watching,' so I watch Chinese dramas on Wavve these days."

With the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the number of consumers using OTT services is increasing. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, universities nationwide chose online classes, and companies introduced work-from-home and flexible work systems while encouraging the use of leave.

As social distancing measures lengthened the time citizens stay at home, the usage time of OTT services such as Netflix, Watcha Play, and YouTube naturally increased. Since each platform offers different content, many users subscribe to multiple services simultaneously.

As more consumers binge-watch postponed seasonal dramas using OTT services, a new term "binge watch" has emerged to describe this phenomenon. "Binge watch" is a compound of "binge," meaning excessive consumption, and "watch," meaning to view, referring to the act of watching content intensively in a short period.

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According to a survey, the majority of citizens practicing social distancing recently reported watching video content.

According to the "Consumer Behavior Survey (MCR) Report" released by the Korea Broadcast Advertising Corporation (KOBACO) on the 10th of last month, 75% of respondents said, "I am refraining from outdoor activities due to COVID-19 and other reasons." Among them, 80% responded that they "watch video content indoors via TV, smartphones, or PCs."

Accordingly, the usage time of OTT service mobile apps has also surged. According to Mobile Index, a mobile app market analysis firm, the Netflix usage time among Android users increased from 6.72 million minutes in the first week of January to 8.17 million minutes in the fourth week of February, marking the highest level this year. YouTube usage time in the fourth week of February was recorded at 214.97 million minutes.

According to the U.S. economic magazine Forbes, Disney Plus saw its subscriber count triple from March 14 to 16 (local time) compared to the previous week, and Netflix's new subscriber count increased by 47% during the same period. Additionally, HBO and Apple TV+ also saw new user increases of 90% and 10%, respectively.

A Watcha Play representative stated that usage significantly increased as COVID-19 spread. The representative explained, "Based on Sunday viewing time in the third week of January, just before COVID-19 began spreading widely in Korea, daily viewing time increased by about 14% on February 23, and daily usage time more than doubled by March 8."

They added, "Analyzing user content viewing trends from February 1 to April 5, the share of disaster movies about infectious diseases such as 'Contagion' and 'The Flu' declined, while the share of movies dealing with economic crises like 'Default' and 'Inside Job' increased. This suggests that people's anxiety is shifting from the infectious disease itself to the socioeconomic crisis caused by COVID-19."

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