Video streaming: Lockdown sees fifth of UK homes sign deals

One in five households in Britain – six million – signed up to an online video subscription service during the Covid-19 lockdown, data suggests.

The majority of those sign-ups, 52%, are going to Disney+, according to market research firm Kantar.

The most-enjoyed piece of content, though, was Netflix’s exclusive documentary series Tiger King.

AppleTV+ struggled to engage TV viewers, however, according to the research.

Kantar’s data shows the tech giant’s TV service was popular on smartphone and tablet devices, but lagged behind competitors in terms of TV screen viewing.

“It’s been a huge quarter for streaming in the UK. We can certainly associate a good deal of that with the current lockdown situation,” Dominic Sunnebo, senior vice president at Kantar, told the BBC.

Mr Sunnebo also noted the instant popularity of Disney+, which only launched in the UK on 24 March.

“Of people who are in the video streaming sector already, one in five now have a Disney+ streaming subscription,” he said. “It’s unheard of.”

There are now, on average, 2.3 online video subscriptions per household in the UK.