Further reading: Impact of COVID-19 – Access On Demand (accessible-video-on-demand.com)
Lockdown measures implemented at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a huge shift in audience behaviour and media consumption. People were restricted and quarantined at home, unable to attend movie theatres or enjoy outside entertainment, so they were drawn to VOD in large numbers.
In Australia, this was reflected in significant boosts to platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus and Stan. Viewers diversified and expanded their viewing across multiple services, so “Instead of a streaming war, there’s been streaming coexistence and parallel growth” (Dritan Nesho, from market-research firm HarrisX). As other industries struggled to survive lockdowns, VOD platforms only grew:
The coronavirus pandemic has been a boon for the Australian streaming market, with new research showing consumers aren’t picking winners and losers, and are growing the amount of services they’re subscribing to.
Mason 2020
This can be contextualised as part of the larger growth of video as an online media format.