Netflix, Hulu Popularity Spell Cord-Cutting

by Wayne Friedman , July 12, 2011

Netflix-and-Hulu

Surveying over 10,283 tweets recently, social-listening company Mashwork.com says 29% prefer Netflix and 20% like Hulu Plus. Both are pay video sites -- Hulu Plus focusing more on current TV shows, and Netflix more on films.

Viewer response: Netflix consumer preferences are "cheaper, commercial free and lag-free streaming." For Hulu Plus, it is "better mobile apps, better catalog, and higher quality."

51% of those surveyed say "I have both so I'm cutting my cord."

Netflix is more female-skewing overall than Hulu Plus. Mashwork says Netflix is 48% female and 52% male. Hulu Plus, on the other hand, registers 24% female and 76% male.

Of those surveyed, over 3,000 tweets of the 10,283 say they still can't decide between Netflix and Hulu. Specifically, 52% of these 3,188 tweets say they have "tried both, but still can't decide"; while 48% say they "still need to try Hulu Plus."

Consumers are increasingly thinking more about cord-cutting. For example, on June 22 when the Hulu Plus Android app was released, some 91% of social media conversations talked about disconnecting a cable service.

cable, streaming, television, tv

2 comments about "Netflix, Hulu Popularity Spell Cord-Cutting".

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Doug Garnett from Protonik, LLC, July 13, 2011 at 12:39 p.m.
Interesting - seems a reasonable summary of what each service delivers. But, I'm not so sure I agree with your headline summation.
These 10,000 tweets represent a population segment of about 2%. They are likely the most technology savvy 2% of the population. They may not even represent this population within US since there are no boundaries on Twitter.
So, about all we can decide from this is that there's a .5% of the population who might cut the cord. Which, we already know.
Can Tweets be relied on for trend spotting? Certainly the Tweet surveyors claim they can. And for hot new technology, perhaps. But for something like projecting mass market cord cutting? Absolutely not.
Interesting data, though.
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Kevin Horne from Verizon, July 17, 2011 at 12:23 a.m.

Correct Doug - the headline is linkbait bollocks. THere have been five separate studies this year - real research, not Tweets - that debunk cord cutting.