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Amazon Instant Video is struggling to keep up with Netflix in the UK, reaching just 4% of households in the region as opposed to the 16% reached by Netflix.
The new statistics were published by broadcasting regulator Ofcom, who revealed that 4.4 million UK households now use Netflix, a massive increase in the 2.8 million that used the streaming service only a year ago. By comparison 1.2 million UK households use Amazon Instant Video, the streaming service available to members of Amazon’s Prime service.
Despite Netflix being head and shoulders above Amazon’s streaming service, it should be taken into consideration that Instant Prime Video isn’t its own separate entity, but is rather bundled in with Amazon Prime. It is therefore a pricier proposition for those looking to subscribe to a streaming platform, meaning that Netflix will likely always have the jump on it in terms of number of subscribers. While Amazon would certainly like for it to pull in rivaling numbers, the company are likely happy that it’s proving to be an attractive enough proposition that it would entice more members to its Prime service.
However, both Netflix and Amazon Instant Video continue to be trounced by BBC iPlayer, which saw 31% of households using it over the past 12 months. iPlayer does have the sizable advantage of being completely free, though this may soon be set to change if the government’s plans to introduce a monthly fee for the service are brought into fruition.
All-in-all the future of entertainment streaming service continues to look bright, and considering that Amazon recently acquired the talents of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May for a brand new car show on its platform, the gap between Instant Video and Netflix may become smaller than ever before.
