New TV research finds that viewers are confused by the growing number of TV services, as the novelty of so many options for TV content is starting to wear off.

Are you starting to feel overwhelmed by the growing number of different pay-TV services, each with their own costs and each offering different shows, while you don't know where to really find and watch what?

Well, you're not alone. New research from America that will likely be true for viewers elsewhere in the world as well, has found that a large and growing number of consumers are not just getting more confused about what TV to watch where, but are now also saying they want one source where they want to get their television from.

At the same time, consumers are not keen on getting just one pay-TV service bundle, and less than half of people with a pay-TV subscription say that they feel that their needs as "very well met".

The new research conducted by Hub Entertainment Research, shows the new and growing cognitive dissonance of TV viewers, who have more TV choices than ever before yet feeling less happy and satisfied with what they're getting, while desiring even more, although they want it curated for them from a single source.

While the number of TV choices in America and elsewhere in the world are growing, South Africa and Africa has also seen a flurry of available TV expansion.

Beyond the offerings of e.tv, community TV channels, the SABC as the South African public broadcaster and MultiChoice's DStv, there's also Deukom as well as StarSat from China's StarTimes Media SA as rival pay-TV players.

Then add the growing slew of subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services like Naspers' Showmax, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video who are all working hard at making inroads at viewer growth although they're all still at a very small subscriber base in Africa and South Africa.

Where TV viewers had to fork out for MultiChoice DStv as a one-stop shop for access to premium content from the likes of M-Net and SuperSport, all of the best content is no longer just available here.

In addition to a higher-tiered DStv subscription for access to premium programming, South Africans who really want to see all of the best television, now need an Amazon, Netflix South Africa and Showmax subscription as well in order to catch and keep up with the avalanche of all the buzz-worthy, award-winning and must-watch shows from TV's Golden Era.

According to Hub Entertainment Research's "Best Bundle: Consumer Preferences in a Peak TV World", the ever-expanding number of services is confusing consumers.

Just 22% say more TV offerings mean that it's easier to chose what's best for them - down from 11% in 2017.

More than two-thirds of people (69%) say they're keen to access TV content from a single source - yet they don't want a single pay-TV bundle.

A growing number of people (43%) want services that allow them to choose the TV channels they want to pay for - even if this means that the price per individual TV channel is higher and more expensive with a bigger overall cost than a TV bundle where the overall cost is lower but includes TV channels they don't want or care to watch.

"The novelty of having so many options for TV content is wearing off," says Peter Fondulas at Hub Entertainment Research and one of the authors of the study.

"Now consumers want simplicity and efficiency. Bundles that aggregate content from multiple sources are highly desirable – but only if those bundles include little or no content they know they won't watch."

Jon Giegengack, the study's co-author says "it is not the price of traditional TV bundles that turns consumers off so much as how much of what they pay goes to content they don't even use. Viewers would rather have a bundle comprised of just the content they care about – even if it means they have to pay more for each network".

New study finds consumers want to pick only the TV channels they want to watch - until they find out how much more it will cost.

Fascinating new pay-TV research has found that television subscribers want to pick and choose their own TV channels - until they find out how much more they will have to pay.

In South Africa, DStv and StarSat subscribers of the pay-TV offerings of MultiChoice and StarTimes Media South Africa as well as subscription television customers elsewhere in the world, have been vocal about not wanting to pay for a bundle of TV channels but rather a so-called "a la carte" offering where every subscriber gets to choose certain channels and only pay for those.

Currently the traditional pay-TV ecosystem works like a gym: a general monthly fee gives members access to the treadmill, pool and weights, lowering the overall price, whether someone uses everything or just one machine.

Instead of a restaurant buffet, pay-TV consumers can't understand why they're not allowed to "dine" on their television in a sit-down a la carte way, with a waiter bringing an itemised bill for every channel consumed.

A new consumer study under American TV viewers by Hub Entertainment Research entitled "Let's Get Ready to Bundle", has found that 53% of pay-TV subscribers want to choose the individual TV channels they want to pay for in an a la carte model. 

An interesting thing however happens when actual approximate TV channel values and prices are attached to individual channels and when it becomes clear to people how much more they will actually have to pay for individual channels, priced separately.

Consumers' big argument is that they are being forced to pay for TV channels they don't watch or want to watch, and that they will be saving and paying less if they can choose just the channels they want.

Hub Entertainment Research decided to test it and showed people 77 TV content and channel brands, including streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. 

The study was conducted under 1 500 people who watch at least 5 hours of TV a week.

When asked to simply choose the channels they would want in their ideal pay-TV bundle, the average person included in the study chose 19. Also noteworthy is that 70% included at least one streaming service like Netflix as a must-have.

 

Hub Entertainment Research then did a second take, and added an approximate monthly TV subscription fee next to each channel or service.

This ranged from $4 (R55) for cheap channels to $7 (R96) for premium channels, $10 to $15 (R206) for streaming services and  $20 to R25 (R343) for a premium sports channel - with a overall total amount attached.

In South African terms that would be asking people to choose between channels and services like SABC2, StarTimes One, Mzansi Magic, The Travel Channel, E! and M-Net, to the likes of ShowMax, Netflix and SuperSport.

Interestingly the number of channels that consumers now chose, dropped from 19 to just 9.

The cost of the average monthly bundle consumers chose, worked out to $66 (R906) per month. The number of people who chose to include a streaming service dropped from 70% to 48%.

"The current bundled approach to TV service gives consumers access to a fairly large number of networks they never watch, networks they assume they're paying for," says Peter Fondulas, co-author of the study, in a statement.

"In their mind, paying for something they don't use is an instant sign of poor value. They instinctively see à la carte as an ideal solution, although in an exercise like this, they see that per-channel prices can add up quickly - and severely limit their viewing choices".

Co-author Jon Giegengack says "It's not the price of pay-TV that consumers object to, so much as how much of that price is going to content that they don't use".