J.D. Power on Thursday published the results of their latest paid video streaming services customer satisfaction survey, and the best Apple’s iTunes could rate was a disappointing fourth place. Apple scored an 807 index rating, behind Netflix’s 829, Hulu’s 821, and VUDU’s 810. Amazon rounded out the top five with a score of 806.
The firm says the study measured customer satisfaction by examining six key measures (listed in order of importance): performance and reliability; content; cost of service; ease of use; communication; and customer service. Scores for each measure are reflected in an index based on a 1,000-point scale.
Satisfaction Lowest among Cord Cutters: Overall satisfaction is lowest among cord cutters (802), followed closely by cord nevers (807), while satisfaction is highest among cord stackers (826) and cord shavers (822). Satisfaction in all measures is lower among customers who do not have cable/satellite TV than among those who do, with an especially wide gap between the two segments in the content measure (40 points).
Binge-Watching High: Nearly two-thirds (62%) of customers use a streaming service to binge watch—the act of watching multiple episodes in succession—TV programming. Overall satisfaction is 35 points higher among those who binge watch vs. those who do not (834 vs. 799, respectively). As binge-watching sessions increase in duration, so does overall satisfaction: 823 among those whose most recent session lasted less than four hours; 841 among those whose session lasted 4-8 hours; and 858 among those whose session lasted 8 or more hours.
Television Remains Primary Viewing Device: Nearly two-thirds (65%) of customers view streaming content through their TV; 55% view content on a laptop/desktop computer; and 48% view content on a mobile device. More than half (56%) of viewers use multiple devices to watch streaming video.
Original Content Viewership Higher among Streaming-Only Subscribers: More than half (54%) of cord nevers and 49% of cord cutters view original content vs. 43% of cord shavers and 41% of cord stackers.
A J.D. Power representative told AppleInsider that iTunes did poorly, due to complaints about cost and customer service. While Netflix and Hulu offer an all you can view buffet of content, iTunes only supports purchasing and rental of content. The content was also a factor, as Netflix and Hulu both produce a number of shows on their own, but iTunes so far is limited to content from outside sources.
Points were calculated based on responses from 3,928 people between June and July, who were polled about factors such as cost, content, ease of use, and customer service.
