Streaming video was a priority channel for the Cinema Consortium organisations during Covid lockdown; while it is used less now, it’s still significant for some of the organisations. There are many different types of video streams - such as video on demand allowing users to watch movies from home; or live interactive events like panel discussions where users can post questions. The metrics you focus on will depend on your platform, goals, and the specific context of your streaming videos.

Calculating number of watchers for video on demand

Our recommendation is to use devices to calculate the watchers for each stream:

• Every stream from a mobile or tablet = 1 person
• Every stream from a desktop computer or smart TV = 2 people

Rationale

• Research suggests that video streaming providers (both commercial and cultural) don't make assumptions about how many individuals are watching on each device.
• There's also challenges around tracking multiple devices owned by the same person - one person could be watching on their phone, and then switch to their laptop, solo both times.
• The industry standard is to count each stream to each device, as one viewer.
• The figure of 2 people per computer or smart TV was arrived at as follows:
  • The average household size in Ireland is 2.74 people (source: CSO 2022
  • People are more likely to share a stream on a computer or smart TV than on a small device like a smartphone.
  • These figures are estimates but in the absence of more concrete data, they will give us an indication

The cinema organisations could consider carrying out an audience research project in the future to capture data about audience’s viewing habits, and this could potentially be a collaborative project with shared, anonymised data.