NPAW Video Streaming Industry Report H1-2023

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 28

REPORT.

H1 2023

Video
Streaming
Industry
Report
Daily user engagement per service
makes a comeback as sports boom
www.npaw.com

Table of contents

1. Introduction 4

1.1 Key takeaways 5


1.2 About this report 6

2. Global Findings 7

2.1 VOD 7
Daily playtime per service reverts its downward trend 7

Episodic content outshines movies 9

Smart TVs keep growing in popularity 11

Quality of Experience for VoD improves despite


bitrate stabilization 13

2.2 Linear TV 16


Daily user engagement makes a comeback 16

Linear TV is even more about big screens than VoD 18

Ongoing enhancements further elevate Linear TV quality 20

3. The rise of sports streaming 24

4. Key metrics cheat sheet 25

5. About NPAW 28
REPORT H1 2023

2
www.npaw.com

Legal This report is for general information purposes only and it describes information
Disclaimer that may be subject to change or variation. NPAW will not be liable to readers
with respect to any business losses, including and without limitation to the loss
REPORT H1 2023

of or damage to profits, income, revenue, use, production, anticipated savings,


business, contracts, commercial opportunities, or goodwill in connection with this
report’s data or information.

3
www.npaw.com

On the brink of change? Only


time — and data — will tell
The first half of 2023 marked a potential turning point for the global
video streaming industry as daily user engagement per streaming
service began to increase for the first time since 2021. Engagement per
service had been declining as competition grew fiercer and platforms
and content options multiplied, reducing the time each consumer
could spend per platform. A reversal of this downward trend might
signal some degree of market consolidation, with consumers focusing
on a select few platforms, or simply an overall increase in content
consumption.

One particular type of content that consistently demonstrates


significant growth potential is sports. The streaming figures for the
biggest sports competitions in the first semester of the year once again
confirmed the high engagement level of live sporting events, as well as
the growing shift of sports fans to online video platforms.

Meanwhile, big-screen devices, especially smart TVs, continue to


increase in popularity, and the Quality of Experience improves for both
VoD and linear TV, implying that there is room for more optimization
and enhancements. Access to deep, actionable data insights is crucial
for navigating these changes and determining whether engagement
will continue to increase.

We appreciate your continued confidence in NPAW’s streaming


intelligence reports and tools. Join us as we delve into the consumption
and quality trends that influenced the global and regional streaming
space during the first half of 2023.

Ferran G. Vilaró
REPORT H1 2023

CEO & Co-Founder of NPAW

4
www.npaw.com

1.1 Key takeaways


In the first half of 2023:

1 For the first time since 2021, the number of VoD minutes that
consumers watch per day, per streaming service increased (+4%). This
suggests that they may either be focusing on a few select services or that
overall consumption is rising

2 The global linear TV playtime per user and streaming service also
increased by 3%, reversing the downward trend that began in 2021 and
confirming a potential industry-wide shift

3 VoD consumers showed an overwhelming preference for episodic


content, with episodes accounting for 60% of the total global playtime
while movies only captured 25%

4 The Quality of Experience for VoD improved globally despite bitrate


stabilization as providers achieved a significant reduction in buffering
times

5 Global linear TV quality improved in all metrics, with a mixed picture at


the regional level suggesting potential challenges in some areas

6 Big screens, particularly TVs, continued to expand their dominance


in VoD and notably in linear TV. On the other hand, small-screen devices
lost share, particularly smartphones, consolidating their position as
secondary streaming devices

7 Sports streaming continued to grow as the major sporting competitions


of the first half of the year saw substantial increases in streaming adoption
REPORT H1 2023

and engagement compared to the previous year

5
www.npaw.com

1.2 About this report


This report examines the state of the video streaming industry on a global and
regional scale, comparing H1 2023 data with numbers from H1 2022 and H2 2022.

The H1 2023 insights used in this analysis were extracted from the NPAW Suite from
January to June 2023. They represent real-time data from over 190 global NPAW
clients, including leading OTT providers, broadcasters, and telecom operators. As
our data library and client base are continuously evolving, the 2022 data presented
here may slightly differ from previous reports.

The findings are divided by geographical scope, content, and device type.
Additionally, the report provides a deep dive into the rise of sports streaming,
analyzing the year-over-year change in streaming adoption for major sporting
events in the first half of the year.

Our data sample


TIME RANGE 2022 H1 2023

North Europe
America Asia
Middle
East
REGIONAL
DIVISION

LATAM
Pacific

DEVICE
DIVISION
Smartphone TV PC Tablet STB Console
REPORT H1 2023

COMPARISON VoD Linear TV

IN-DEPTH LOOK Sports

6
s
www.npaw.com

2. Global Findings
2.1 VOD
Daily playtime per service reverts its downward
trend
One more semester, the total number of plays and overall playtime increased for
VoD as the streaming industry continued to grow. However, for the first time since
2021, the initial half of 2023 saw an uptick in the global Daily Average Playtime
per User and Service. The number of minutes the average user streams per day
on each platform grew by 4% compared to the same period last year, reaching an
average of just over 53 minutes. Although small, this change could hint at the end
of the downward trend in consumption per user that individual service providers
have been grappling with in the face of increased competition. The market may be
consolidating as consumers gravitate towards a select few platforms, or they might
just be consuming more streaming content in general. Time alone will confirm this
trend either way.

VoD H1 2023 H1 2023 vs. H1 2022

53.3 +4%
Avg. Daily Playtime
per User and Service min

Europe
Absolute Change
North America H1 2023 vs H1 2022
Asia
Absolute
H1 2023
Change
vs H1 2022
79min 3% Absolute Change

80min 41% H1 2023

30min
vs H1 2022

-12%

Middle East
LATAM Pacific
Absolute Change
Absolute Change H1 2023 vs H1 2022 Absolute Change
H1 2023 vs H1 2022 H1 2023 vs H1 2022
53min 6%
REPORT H1 2023

53min 21% 93min 3%


t

7
www.npaw.com

With the exception of Asia, which recorded a 12% decline, all regions registered
higher playtime per person and service compared to H1 2022. North America led
the pack with a 41% increase, followed by Latin America at +21%. Looking at the
absolute numbers, two distinct groups emerge. Europe, North America, and the
t
Pacific are high-consumption areas, with averages of over 79 minutes of daily
usage per person, per service. The other group — consisting of Asia, Latin America,
t

and the Middle East — had less than 53 minutes of daily usage, with Asia registering
only 30 minutes. The gap is most stark between the Pacific and Asia regions, with
Pacific users streaming more than triple the minutes that those in Asia do.

H1 2023

2.6 titles
VoD
Global Avg. Daily
Number of Titles
per user and service

VoD — Avg. Daily Number of Titles Per User and Service (by region)

4.2
3.7
3.4
2.9
2.5
1.9

Asia Europe Pacific Middle East LATAM North America

H1 2023

In contrast, the global Average Daily Number of Titles per User and Service
dropped by 4% in H1 2023 vs the first half of 2022. Paired with the increase in
playtime, this figure suggests that users are watching slightly fewer titles but for
REPORT H1 2023

a longer time. In absolute numbers, the biggest difference between regions can
again be observed between the Pacific and Asia, where the Pacific recorded over

8
www.npaw.com

twice as many titles with 4.2 compared to Asia’s 1.9. The comparison with H1 2022’s
numbers shows no significant changes for most regions, apart from a 9% increase
in North America and a 13% decrease in Asia.

Episodic content outshines movies


When examining VoD content for H1 2023, classified by length, it becomes evident
that global consumers overwhelmingly prefer episodic content (20-90 minutes),
which represents the vast majority of all streamed minutes. Movies (over 90
minutes) lag considerably, while short content (under 20 minutes) accounts for
only a minimal share of the overall playtime.

This distribution can be observed across all regions except for North America,
where movies accounted for almost the same amount of playtime as episodic
content. The Middle East is the region where episodic content captured the biggest
part of the pie, with movies and short content accounting for less than 10% of total
playtime.

Globally, consumers of episodic content watched on average 2 episodes per


day — slightly more than the 1.7 short pieces of content streamed by the average
short-form consumer, and considerably more than the 1.3 movies watched by the
average movie fan. As the regions with the highest playtime per user and service,
North America, the Pacific, and Europe registered substantially more titles
per day for all three types of content, particularly for episodes. Asia was the only
region where consumers of each type of content watched a similar number of titles
per day.
REPORT H1 2023

9
www.npaw.com

c
4% North A
me
Share of Total Playtime by Type 45% LATAM
ri c
a
8%
of VoD Content (H1 2023) 3% Mi d d l
1 1% 5% eE
as
Pacifi t 9
1 2% c
Episode Movie Short Euro
8% pe
% 7% A si a

23
%

1 5%
6%

13
Regional

25%
79%
Global
69%
73%
3
69%
92%
82%
51%

Avg. Daily Number of Titles per Content Type


Global — H1 2023

2.0 1.3 1.7


Episode Movie Short

Regional — H1 2023
3.4
3.2
3.0
a

2.4 2.5 2.4 2.5


a

2.1 2.0 1.9 1.8


1.6 1.6 1.6
1.4 1.4 1.3
1.1
REPORT H1 2023
a

Asia Europe Pacific Middle East LATAM North America

10
www.npaw.com

Smart TVs keep growing in popularity


Big screens have been capturing the most streamed minutes for a while now —
especially since technological advancements and the Covid-19 boom in sales
pushed smart TV adoption to new heights.

In the first half of 2023, smart TVs accounted for 51% of the total VoD playtime.
Together with consoles and set-top boxes (STBs), this figure means that big screens
captured 61% of all minutes streamed. This showcases the viewers’ preference for
the traditional, full-format experience when consuming VoD content.

VoD — Share of Total Playtime by Device

H1 2023

8 17
2 H2 2022

21
2 7
8

9
4

%
12
10

45

51

Smartphone TV PC Tablet STB Console Others


REPORT H1 2023

Moreover, smart TVs are increasing in popularity at the expense of small-screen


devices. In H1 2023, smart TVs saw their relative playtime share increase by 6%
compared to the second half of 2022 – which is precisely the combined percentage

11
www.npaw.com

decrease for smartphones (-4%) and PCs (-2%). While they still hold the second
and third positions respectively, smartphones and PCs are increasingly being used
as secondary streaming devices for watching content on the move or when the
household’s TV is unavailable.

Big screens also outpace smaller ones in terms of the average amount of time that
each user spends streaming VoD content on each device. STB and console users
streamed upwards of 120 minutes per day in H1 2023, followed at some distance
by smart TV users with 95 daily minutes. Of the small-screen devices, smartphones
registered the fewest minutes per day per user — over 20 minutes less than both
tablets and PCs.

VoD — Avg. Daily Playtime per User and Device Type (Minutes)

127.4 120.6
95.7

58 59.6
33.2

Smartphone TV PC Tablet STB Console

H1 2023

All devices saw an increase in the average daily playtime per user in H1 2023 vs H2
2022, particularly consoles with a 38% hike. Smartphones experienced the second
largest increase, but this change was less noticeable given their already low overall
use.

VoD Smartphone TV PC
16% 8% 2%
REPORT H1 2023

Avg. Daily Playtime per


User and Device Type Tablet STB Console

Change H1 2023 vs H2 2022 7% 13% 38%

12
www.npaw.com

Quality of Experience for VoD improves despite


bitrate stabilization
Streaming providers kept pushing for better Quality of Experience for VoD in the first
half of 2023. Globally, the Buffer Ratio dropped by 23% vs H2 2022. The Average
Bitrate held the trend of stabilization observed in 2022 following previous hikes,
with a negligible 1% decrease. The Average Join Time stayed more or less the same
(+2%), while Exit Before Video Start (EBVS) numbers decreased slightly (-5%).

VoD — Global Quality KPIs (H1 2023 vs H2 2022)

Avg. Avg. Avg. EBVS


Bitrate Join Time Buffer Ratio (Exit Before Video Start)

-1% +2% -23% -5%


The only consistent positive trend across all regions was the improvement in Buffer
Ratio, with Asia, Europe, and Latin America seeing enhancements of over 20%. In
contrast, Average Bitrate and Average Join Time only improved for Europe and the
Middle East respectively. EBVS showed mixed results, with some regions seeing
increases and others decreases.

VoD — Quality by Region Improvements Declines No change

H1 2023 vs H2 2022

Avg. Bitrate Avg. Join Time Buffer Ratio EBVS

Asia -3% 4% -21% 5%


Europe 3% 1% -28% -11%
Pacific 0% 8% -5% 0.2%
Middle East -5% -3% -4% 18%
REPORT H1 2023

LATAM -2% 1% -25% -15%


North America -5% 1% -13% 1%

13
www.npaw.com

As observed in past NPAW reports, an increase in Join Time usually results in a spike
in EBVS. The longer users have to wait for a video to start, the more likely they are
to drop off. Interestingly, while the Middle East saw the largest increase in EBVS, it
was the only region to record an improvement in Average Join Time. Given that this
region has the highest Join Time in absolute numbers, it seems to be more reactive
to slower improvements in this particular metric.

VoD — Impact of Avg. Join Time on EBVS

Middle East
Asia

Europe LATAM
Pacific

North America
EBVS

2
Avg. Join Time

On a device level, the Average Bitrate generally decreased, except for consoles.
Tablets saw the largest fall (-18%). Meanwhile, the Buffer Ratio for PCs, STBs, and TVs
decreased, with PCs experiencing the most substantial improvement (-40%). The
rest of the devices saw an increase in the metric. Join Time rose for STBs and PCs by
REPORT H1 2023

32% and 13% respectively, with no significant improvements except for TVs (-8%).
Increases in EBVS were observed for consoles and PCs, with 27% and 17% spikes
respectively, while STBs and TVs registered notable improvements (-21% and -19%).

14
www.npaw.com

VoD — Quality by Device Improvements Declines

H1 2023 vs H2 2022

Avg. Bitrate Avg. Join Time Buffer Ratio EBVS

Smartphone -5% 2% 16% -2%

TV -2% -8% -7% -19%

PC -4% 13% -40% 17%

Tablet -18% -2% 10% 6%

STB -4% 32% -13% -21%

Console 5% 2% 4% 27%

In summary, global VoD consumption saw a positive shift in the first half of 2023. For
the first time in two years, daily playtime per user and streaming service increased.
This indicates that consumers either expanded their consumption or focused on
a select few platforms. All regions except Asia recorded a rise in playtime per user
and service, with North America, Europe, and the Pacific recording the highest
usage. Viewers showed a preference for episodic content over movies and short-
form content, and smart TVs continued to be the favored device for streaming
VoD. Notably, and despite bitrate stabilization, the Quality of Experience for VoD
improved globally, as evidenced by a significant drop in Buffer Ratio. However,
these advancements varied across regions and devices. While some observed
improvements, others saw an increase in metrics like Join Time, implying there is
still room for further improvement.
REPORT H1 2023

15
www.npaw.com

2.2 Linear TV
Daily user engagement makes a comeback

Global linear TV plays and playtime continued to increase in the first half of 2023
as more consumers chose online video for live and linear content consumption.
Additionally, mirroring VoD trends, daily engagement per user and service for linear
TV saw a global increase for the first time since 2021. This reverses the downward
trend that streaming providers had been struggling with due to the surge in
content and platform options. Awaiting future data, the online linear TV market
might also be reaching a state of consolidation, with viewers gravitating towards
a select few streaming platforms, or there could simply be an overall increase in
streaming consumption.

Linear TV H1 2023 H1 2023 vs. H1 2022

38 +3%
Avg. Daily Playtime
per User and Service min

Europe
Absolute Change
H1 2023 vs H1 2022
North America Asia
Absolute Change
65min 2% Absolute Change
H1 2023 vs H1 2022 H1 2023 vs H1 2022

42min -23% 21min -6%

Middle East
LATAM Absolute Change
Pacific
Absolute Change H1 2023 vs H1 2022 Absolute Change

38min 4%
H1 2023 vs H1 2022 H1 2023 vs H1 2022

28min 15% 58min 1%

The global Average Daily Playtime per User and Service for linear TV grew by 3%
REPORT H1 2023

in H1 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. Meanwhile, the Average Daily
Number of Titles per User and Service stayed virtually the same with a negligible
1% increase. This means viewers are watching more or less the same number of

16
www.npaw.com

titles per day but for slightly longer. However, it is worth noting that, at 38 minutes
and 1.6 titles per user, day, and service, global linear TV engagement trails way
behind that of VoD, with 15 minutes and 1 title more.

H1 2023

1.6 titles
Linear TV
Global Avg. Daily
Number of Titles
per user and service

Linear TV — Avg. Daily Number of Titles Per User and Service (by
region)

2.1 2.2

1.6 1.7
1.4
1.1

Asia Europe Pacific Middle East LATAM North America

H1 2023

Just like with VoD, Europe, the Pacific, and North America recorded the most
minutes of playtime per user and service, with the Middle East following closely
in fourth place. Despite showing the greatest increase in engagement, Latin
America maintained its second-to-last position, with Asia trailing again as the least
engaged region. Despite their high engagement levels, North America saw the most
significant decline in daily playtime per user per service, while the Pacific region
experienced the largest drop in the number of titles — trends they have maintained
over the past year. A careful review of these tendencies into the second half of the
year will confirm whether the downward trend for these two regions persists.
REPORT H1 2023

17
www.npaw.com

Linear TV is even more about big screens than


VoD
The majority of the total Linear TV playtime in H1 2023 was, once again, taken
up by big screens — even to a greater extent than in VoD. Together, TVs and
STBs accounted for 80% of the linear playtime, each holding an equal share of
40%. Consoles, with an insignificant share of 0.1%, were clearly not the device of
choice for this type of content. Smaller screens (smartphones, PCs, and tablets)
represented only 15% of the total playtime. More so than with VoD, the gap between
big and small screens underlines the consumers’ overwhelming preference for
viewing linear content on larger, in-home devices, reserving smaller screens for the
occasional streaming of sports competitions and live shows when on the move or
when TVs are occupied.

Linear TV — Share of Total Playtime by Device

H1 2023

4 7
H2 2022

10

%
34

9 40
0
40
4

6
REPORT H1 2023

Smartphone TV PC Tablet STB Console Others

18
www.npaw.com

STBs were the only devices to experience an increase in the share of playtime in H1
2023 vs H2 2022, with a 6% gain. This increase was largely at the cost of smartphone
and PC usage, each seeing a 3% decline, as well as the 1% decrease in tablet usage.
The gap between small and big-screen formats is thus widening — a development
worth tracking into the second half of the year.

Regarding the average duration users spend on each device type watching linear
content, larger screens also exhibit the highest engagement. STBs recorded the
most playtime per user per day in H1 2023 with 91 minutes, followed at a distance
by consoles and TVs. When looking at smaller-screen devices, a significant gap
emerges in daily user engagement between PCs and tablets (50 and 42 minutes
respectively) and smartphones (20 minutes). This indicates that smartphones are
often used for shorter streaming sessions while outside of the household or when a
TV is unavailable.

Linear TV — Avg. Daily Playtime per User and Device Type


(Minutes)

91

66 67
50
42

20

Smartphone TV PC Tablet STB Console

H1 2023

Interestingly, despite being the devices with the highest playtime per user, STBs
were the only ones to witness a decline in the metric compared to the second half of
REPORT H1 2023

2022. Consoles saw the most significant rise, followed by tablets and smartphones.

19
www.npaw.com

Linear TV Smartphone TV PC
19% 1% 7%
Global Avg. Daily
Playtime by Device Tablet STB Console

Change H1 2023 vs H2 2022 22% -18% 35%

Ongoing enhancements further elevate Linear


TV quality
In contrast with VoD, where Quality of Experience improved in H1 2023 but not in all
metrics, global linear TV quality improved in all KPIs, including a 5% increase in the
Average Bitrate. With this metric already being 25% higher than that of VoD, this
indicates potential for further enhancements in linear — a trend likely due to linear
TV viewers prioritizing high-quality video, especially for sports.

Linear TV — Global Quality KPIs (H1 2023 vs H2 2022)

Avg. Avg. Avg. EBVS


Bitrate Join Time Buffer Ratio (Exit Before Video Start)

5% -2% -6% -5%


The Average Bitrate saw substantial increases in Asia (+21%) and the Pacific (+10%),
while Latin America experienced the most significant decrease (-7%). Average
Join Time generally declined across regions, except for the substantial increase
experienced in the Pacific (+19%).

The Buffer Ratio improved considerably in most regions, especially in Latin America
(-19%) and Asia (-14%). However, it increased for the Pacific (+17%) and, more
notably, for the Middle East (+30%). The latter was the only region to see a decline
REPORT H1 2023

across all metrics, suggesting that local providers may be struggling with linear
quality. Regarding EBVS, only Latin America saw a substantial increase (+20%), while
Europe and Asia saw the biggest decreases (-14%).

20
www.npaw.com

Linear TV — Quality by Region Improvements Declines

H1 2023 vs H2 2022

Avg. Bitrate Avg. Join Time Buffer Ratio EBVS

Asia 21% -5% -14% -14%


Europe 3% -3% -9% -14%
Pacific 10% 19% 17% -9%
Middle East -2% 0.3% 30% 5%

LATAM -7% -5% -19% 20%


North America 1% -6% -9% -5%

A comparison of quality and engagement data reveals a correlation between higher


bitrate and increased daily playtime per user. This demonstrates that linear TV
viewers prefer high-quality videos and engage more when the quality is better.

Linear TV — Impact of Avg. Bitrate on User Engagement

Europe
Avg. Daily Playtime per User and Service

Pacific

North
America

Middle East

LATAM

Asia
REPORT H1 2023

Avg. Bitrate

21
www.npaw.com

At the device level, consoles and tablets experienced the most consistent quality
improvements in the first half of 2023 compared to the previous semester.
Conversely, smartphones exhibited the most negative changes, leading to a poorer
Quality of Experience due to longer loading and buffering times. TVs, although
showing overall quality improvements, still experienced a rise in EBVS. The
Average Bitrate increased the most for consoles (+17%) and STBs (+9%), while PCs
experienced the biggest decrease (-20%).

Buffer Ratio improved or remained the same for all devices except smartphones
(+10%), with TVs (-38%) and PCs (-26%) showing the most substantial progress.
Average Join Time generally improved across the board, with the exception, again,
of smartphones. The biggest increase in EBVS was seen in STBs (+35%) and consoles
(+18%). Notably, both remain the device types with the highest engagement despite
their steep increases in EBVS.

Linear TV — Quality by Device Improvements Declines No change

H1 2023 vs H2 2022

Avg. Bitrate Avg. Join Time Buffer Ratio EBVS

Smartphone 4% 8% 10% -5%

TV 4% 0% -38% 8%

PC -20% -4% -26% -3%

Tablet -4% -14% -8% -6%

STB 9% -1% 0% 35%

Console 17% -28% -13% 18%


REPORT H1 2023

22
www.npaw.com

In conclusion, in H1 2023, global online linear TV saw an increase in daily user


engagement per service for the first time since 2021, indicating a potential market
consolidation or rise in overall streaming consumption. Big screens dominated
linear content viewing, even surpassing VoD, further emphasizing the consumers’
preference for larger, in-home devices for linear TV. While the Quality of Experience
improved across all linear TV metrics, the results varied by region, suggesting
potential challenges in some areas. Meanwhile, improved bitrates correlated with
increased user engagement. Despite the overall enhancements, device-specific
quality varied. This suggests continuous efforts are needed to optimize the user
experience across all platforms and regions. As the streaming market continues
to evolve, keeping track of these trends will be critical for adapting strategies
effectively.

REPORT H1 2023

23
www.npaw.com

The rise of sports streaming


Major sports competitions in the first half of 2023 demonstrated that fans are increasingly turning to
streaming to watch their favorite events. This live content, previously dominated by broadcast and
satellite TV, is steadily shifting to online video platforms due to the growing trend of cord-cutting
and enhancements in streaming latency and quality, driven by technologies like multi-CDN.

Streaming Consumption for Major Sporting Events in


the First Half of the Year (% Change, 2023 vs 2022)

Wimbledon
Champions League Roland Garros

56% 45 68%
49% 57%

37%
26%
14

Total Total Unique Total Total Unique


Plays Playtime Users Plays Playtime Users

Champions League NBA Finals


Final

45%
253%
39% 237%

14% 82%

Total Total Unique Total Total Unique


REPORT H1 2023

Plays Playtime Users Plays Playtime Users

24
www.npaw.com

4. Key metrics cheat sheet

Average Daily Playtime per User and Service


The daily time that the average user of an individual streaming
service spends streaming content. This metric is a good indicator of
user engagement levels with a platform and its content.

Average Daily Number of Titles per User and


Service
The average number of tiles that the average user of an individual
streaming service watches per day.

Average Bitrate
The basis of video quality, bitrate measures the amount of video
data transferred per second and is reflective of the video quality
being sent to the end-user device. The higher the bitrate, the higher
the video quality. High bitrates are necessary for a superior Quality
of Experience, but they require greater bandwidth and join times so
as not to impact the experience negatively.

Buffer Ratio
REPORT H1 2023

Buffer Ratio represents the time users experience buffering during


content streaming. Buffering is when content stalls in the middle

25
www.npaw.com

of playback due to a buffer underrun. In other words, a video


stream loads slower than the video should play, so playback must
stall to buffer more video. This effect is sometimes referred to as
“Rebuffering”.

Average Join Time


Join time is a metric measuring the amount of time from when
the video player is initiated (either via user action or by autoplay)
to when the first video content frame is played. Join Time can
be increased to let the video load, decreasing buffering time
throughout the video playback’s duration. This strategy is especially
useful to enable higher bitrates across your service.

Exit Before Video Start


Exit Before Video Start (EBVS) represents video connection attempts
without registered errors that have terminated before the first frame
of the video has been displayed. EBVS is directly related to Join
Time — the higher the Join Time, the higher the chances that the
user will exit the video before it starts.

REPORT H1 2023

26
www.npaw.com

Compare your
performance with
the industry average
NPAW’s QoE Benchmarks lets you understand
how you perform on key quality KPIs compared Request Demo
with competitors in your region
Download product benefits

REPORT H1 2023

27
www.npaw.com

5. About NPAW

NPAW is the leading video intelligence company helping online streaming


services grow. A global leader in its space, NPAW has over a decade of experience
developing groundbreaking and scalable analytics solutions to optimize full service
performance and user engagement to build media experiences that maximize
revenue. Its suite of integrated analytics provides advanced, correlated visibility of
platform performance, audience behavior and navigation, advertising and content
efficiency in real-time to support data-driven decisions.

NPAW serves more than 190 video-based services and processes over 124 billion
plays per year worldwide. Established in 2008 by co-founders of video streaming
service Wuaki TV (later sold to Rakuten), NPAW has offices in Barcelona and New
York with teams throughout the world. For more information, visit www.npaw.com.

For more information about


the measurements you can make
with NPAW, contact us here
to set up a free consultation with
a streaming video expert
REPORT H1 2023

GET IN TOUCH
info@npaw.com

28

You might also like