A new survey for YouGov (via Variety) has shown that the frequency of TV series cancellations in recent years is having a impact on public viewing habits and how people select shows to watch.
According to the survey, 25% of U.S. adults wait for a streaming original’s finale before starting a series. Of those, 48% cite a preference for binge-watching shows, 27% fear a potential cancellation with an unresolved ending, and 24% don’t want to wait for the next season after a cliffhanger.
In fact, 46% of all survey participants will “sometimes or always” wait for a series finale before they even begin watching the show – the younger the respondent the more likely to agree with that statement with 18-34 year olds the most likely to agree.
Around 31% who use streaming services for original shows estimated 1-3 shows they have started in the past year had been cancelled, even with unsettled plotlines. In addition, women (50%) are also more likely than men (46%) to wait for a show to end completely.
This suggests that despite the streamers pushing towards more weekly release formats in order to retain subscribers, binge watching isn’t going away anytime soon and remains the preferred method of TV consumption for a rather large part of the potential audience.
Source: Variety
