adidas Originals' first NFT project generated over $23m in a weekend

"Over the weekend, Adidas' first NFT effort made over $23 million in Ethereum, from a $15.5 million Early Access phase and $7.5 million in general sales. It wasn’t entirely smooth sailing — Adidas had to halt early transactions due to a technical hitch. It did, however, prove there’s an audience for NFT collaborations, starting with this partnership with Bored Ape Yacht Club (an existing collection of Bored Ape NFTs)."

Source:  Engadget, 20th December 2021

Squid Game is Netflix most popular show, with 142m households watching in the first 28 days

"There  is  no  better  example  of  this  than Squid  Game, a  unique  Korean  story  that  first  captured  the zeitgeist  in  Korea  and  then  globally.  Released  on  September  17,  it  has  become our  biggest  TV  show  ever. A mind-boggling 142m member  households  globally  have chosen  to  watch  the  title  in  its  first  four  weeks. The  breadth  of Squid  Game’s  popularity  is  truly  amazing; this  show  has  been  ranked  as  our  #1  program  in 94  countries  (including  the  US).  Like  some  of  our  other  big  hits, Squid  Game has  also  pierced  the  cultural zeitgeist,  spawning  a Saturday  Night  Live skit and memes/clips  on  TikTok with  more  than  42  billion  views. Demand for  consumer  products  to  celebrate  the  fandom  for Squid  Game is  high  and  those  items  are  on their  way  to  retail  now."

Source:  Netflix Q3 2021 Letter to Shareholders, 19th October 2021 

Note 1 - This smashes the previous record of 82m set by Bridgerton in January 2021

Note 2 - This is 2/3 of Netflix 214m member households

Note 3 - Netflix definition for 'watching' is to watch at least 2 minutes

The game 'I Expect You To Die 2' 'has generated >$1m in sales in the first week'

 "The sequel to Schell Games’ popular VR puzzle game hit a major milestone just one week after going on sale.

In 2016 Schell Games launched their game I Expect You To Die on Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR, and SteamVR headsets. In this James Bond-esque adventure, players took on the role of a professional spy tasked with solving a variety of cinematic puzzles within a set period of time. Needless to say, the game was an instant hit, captivating VR players with its colorful setting and unique puzzle-solving mechanics.

Capitalizing on the success of the original game, Schell Games launched I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and the Liar in August of 2021. Now, less than a month after its release, developer Schell Games is claiming that its sequel title managed to surpass $1M in sales less than a week after launch. This is a huge milestone not only for the developer but for the VR industry in general."

Source:  VR Scout, 9th September 2021

82m households watched (at least some of) Bridgerton on Netflix in the first 28 days

 "A record 82 million households around the world watched Netflix original series Bridgerton in its first 28 days.

Netflix reported that the period drama has made the top 10 in every country except Japan – hitting number one in 83 countries including the US, UK, Brazil, France, India and South Africa.

The success of the series also propelled the books, by Julia Quinn, into The New York Times best seller lists for the first time – some 18 years after they were first published."

Source:  Advanced Television, 28th January 2021

Amazon delivered over 1.5 billion parcels over Christmas 2020

 "Amazon is reporting a record-breaking holiday shopping season that saw more than 1.5 billion toys, electronics and household goods delivered amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.

“Amazonians around the world have truly shown what it means to be customer-centric and support our communities this year,” Jeff Wilke, CEO of worldwide consumer at Amazon, said in a press release on Tuesday (Dec. 29). 

“When our customers — including healthcare workers on the front lines — most needed essential supplies, our teams and partners went above and beyond to stock and deliver those items,” he said."

Source:  PYMNTS, citing a press release from Amazon, 29th December 2020

Note - I'm assuming that this covers the period from Black Friday onwards.

'Trolls World Tour' generated nearly $100m in streaming revenues in 19 days

"Universal’s decision to take DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls World Tour into homes at the 48-hour rental price of $19.99 during exhibition’s COVID-19 shutdown has reportedly racked up an estimated $95M in rental fees in the title’s first 19 days. With VOD terms in the studio’s favor at an estimated 80%, Universal is banking an estimated $77M in revenues before marketing expenses.  Those are better terms for Universal then the 50/50 or 60%-65%/40% splits they reap in their relationship with movie theaters."

Source:  Deadline, 28th April 2020

51% of UK households have at least one paid video on demand subscription

"The proportion of UK homes with a subscription to at least one of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or NOW TV passed 50 per cent for the first time in Q4 2019, standing at 50.5 per cent.
27 million UK homes access at least one of these services, a quarter-on-quarter increase of almost 600,000 homes (4.4 per cent) since Q3 2019.
Netflix remains the largest service with 12.35 million homes subscribed, a year-on-year growth of almost 20 per cent.
Amazon Prime Video is the fastest growing service year-on-year, increasing by just over 35 per cent versus Q4 2018 to 7.14 million homes.
NOW TV saw almost 8 per cent year-on-year growth, bringing it to 1.69 million UK homes in Q4 2019 (although it experienced an 8 per cent quarter-on-quarter drop from 1.84 million in Q3 2019).
In Q4 2019, 6.03 million UK homes (21 per cent of homes) subscribed to two or more SVoD services, up 1.72 million year-on-year."
Source:  Advanced Television, 20th February 2020

Streaming accounts for 80% of US recorded music revenues

"US recorded music revenues grew by 13% year-on-year to $11.1 billion (£8.6bn) at retail value in 2019. It’s the fourth year in a row of double-digit growth.
Americans streamed 1.5 trillion songs during the year, according to the RIAA.
Streaming now accounts for 79.5% of all recorded music revenues, following last year’s 19.9% year-on-year increase to $8.8bn (£6.8bn).
The market increase was driven by subscription streaming in the world’s largest music market. Total subscription revenues of $6.8bn (£5.3bn) were up 25% compared to 2018. Premium streaming now accounts for 61% of all revenues.
One statistic jumps out of the RIAA report: the streaming market alone in 2019 was larger than the entire US recorded music market in 2017.
Subscription services were responsible for 93% of the growth in 2019 streaming revenue. DSPs added an average of one million new subscribers per month in the US, which now has 60 million people paying for services."
Source:  MusicWeek, 26th February 2020

Billie Eilish & Drake 'stream more than all 1980s music'

"I don’t view it as problem solved. There’s been progress, but there’s a ways to go yet. If I were still at Interscope, here are the things I’d be worried about. I’d be worried that I don’t have a direct relationship with my consumer. The artists and the streaming platforms do.
I’d be worried that an artist like Drake or Billie Eilish streams more than the entire decade of the 1980s, according to the information I’ve seen from labels and streaming services. I’d also be worried that the streaming services aren’t making enough money, because that can jackknife."
Source:  Jimmy Iovine, interviewed by the New York Times, 30th December 2019

Netflix and Google (inc YouTube) collectively account for nearly 25% of all internet traffic

"Sandvine, a provider of network intelligence solutions, has released its 2019 Global Internet Phenomena Report.
[...]
Video is over 60 per cent of the total downstream volume of traffic on the Internet.
Netflix is 12.60 per cent of the total downstream volume of traffic across the entire internet and 11.44 per cent of all internet traffic.
Google is 12 per cent of overall internet traffic, driven by YouTube, search, and the Android ecosystem.
Gaming traffic and gaming-related bandwidth consumption is increasing as gaming downloads, Twitch streaming, and eSports go mainstream.
BitTorrent is over 27 per cent of total upstream volume of traffic, and over 44 per cent in EMEA alone.
Facebook applications make up over 15 per cent of the total internet traffic in APAC."
Source:  Advanced Television, 12th September 2019

There are more than 500m SVoD subscriptions globally

"Gross SVoD subscriptions increased by 139 million in 2018 to 508 million – or up by 38 per cent, according to the SVOD Databook from Digital TV Research. The net subscriber count rose by 83 million in 2018 to reach 357 million – up by 31 per cent. This means that the average SVoD subscriber paid for 1.43 SVoD subscriptions by end-2018 – up from 1.05 in 2010.
“China and the US together accounted for 63 per cent of the global total in 2018,” advises Simon Murray, Principal Analyst at Digital TV Research. “China overtook the US in 2018 to become the gross SVoD subscription leader. China added nearly 60 million subscriptions in 2018 alone, with the US up by 27 million (despite its relative maturity). India nearly doubled its subscription base.”"
Source:  Advanced Television, 18th September 2019

US smartphone owners are keeping their devices for an average of 33 months

"U.S. consumers are holding onto their smartphones for an average of 33 months as a lack of innovation gives them reason to upgrade less frequently, a survey by Strategy Analytics found. The firm said consumers are very interested in next-generation 5G mobile service, although high smartphone prices will be a significant barrier to entry.
The average Apple smartphone has been active for 18 months, longer than the 16.5-month average for Samsung devices. The two companies remain dominant with brand loyalty of more than 70%, while other device makers like LG and Motorola see repeat purchase intentions of less than 50%.
Just 7% of U.S. consumers said they would spend over $1,000 on a new phone, while "wow features" are important to only about one-third of those surveyed. One out of four people said 5G will be important for their next mobile device, per Strategy Analytics."

Source:  Mobile Marketer, 23rd August 2019

74% of US households subscribe to at least one SVOD service

"New consumer research from Leichtman Research Group, Inc. (LRG) finds that 74% of all U.S. households have a subscription video on-Demand (SVOD) service from Netflix, Amazon Prime, and/or Hulu – up from 64% in 2017, and 52% in 2015.
Among those that have an SVOD service, 69% have more than one of these services – up from 51% in 2017, and 38% in 2015.  Overall, 51% of U.S. households now have more than one SVOD service, an increase from 33% in 2017, and 20% in 2015.
These findings are based on a survey of 1,116 households nationwide and are part of a new LRG study, Emerging Video Services 2019. This is LRG’s thirteenth annual study on this topic.
Other related findings include:
64% of all adults stream an SVOD service at least monthly, and 41% stream more than one SVOD service at least monthly
33% of adults stream an SVOD service daily – compared to 29% in 2017, and 16% in 2015
51% of ages 18-34 stream an SVOD service daily – compared to 34% of ages 35-54, and 15% of ages 55+
27% with Netflix agree that their subscription is shared with others outside their household – compared to 19% with Hulu, and 10% with Amazon Prime
51% of adults watch video on non-TV devices (including mobile phones, home computers, tablets, and eReaders) daily – up from 43% in 2017, and 31% in 2014."
Source:  Press release from Leichtman Research Group, 27th August 2019

More than 50% of browser-based Google searches don't result in a click

Source:  Data from Jumpshot, reported in a blog post by Sparktoro, 13thaugust 2019

More than 500 hours of content are uploaded to YouTube each minute

"Your average person could spend their entire lifetime trying to watch all the content uploaded to YouTube in just one day.
The platform’s users upload more than 500 hours of fresh video per minute, YouTube revealed at recent press events. That works out to 30,000 hours of new content per hour, and 720,000 hours of new content per day.
Divide 720,000 out, and you’ll see that 82.2 years — yes, years — of new video are uploaded to YouTube each and every day.
This is the first per-minute upload amount we’ve gotten from YouTube since VidCon 2015, where CEO Susan Wojcicki revealed that 400 hours were being uploaded every minute. (That works out to 65.7 years’ worth each day, FYI.) In 2013, a third-party report from Tubular Labs estimated 300 hours were being uploaded.
While these upload amounts are staggering, they’re actually slim compared to the watch time stats YouTube’s also revealed recently. At the NewFronts last week, the platform said more than 250 million hours of content are watched just on TV screens each day. That works out to 173,611 hours being watched per minute — compared to the 500 being uploaded. And that 250 million hours doesn’t even include browser and mobile viewing, for which YouTube hasn’t broken out exact numbers."
Source:  TubeFilter, 7th May 2019

WhatsApp has 400m MAUs in India

"Messaging service WhatsApp has been in the middle of a number of controversies since last year, ranging from the proliferation of fake news to storing data locally, even as it looks to expand into digital payments.
These controversies come at a time when its parent company Facebook, which also owns Instagram and Messenger, has been under scrutiny across the world over privacy of user data, and also agreed to pay a $5-billion fine to US regulators earlier this week. But even as it tackles these challenges, WhatsApp is bullish on prospects in India as it revealed that it has 400 million monthly active users here out of a global base of 1.5 billion."

Source:  Economic Times, 26th July 2019

Stranger Things season 3 broke records on Netflix

.@Stranger_Things 3 is breaking Netflix records!

40.7 million household accounts have been watching the show since its July 4 global launch — more than any other film or series in its first four days. And 18.2 million have already finished the entire season.

— Netflix US (@netflix) July 8, 2019

There are nearly 350m paid video subscriptions in China

"The number of paid subscriptions on China’s online video platforms reached 347 million in 2018 as the market continued to expand rapidly, according to a report released at the Internet Film and Television Summit, part of the Shanghai International Film and TV Festival.
Lu Di, director of the Center for Audio-visual Communication Research at Peking University, said the number of online video users totalled 612 million, accounting for 73.9 per cent of the total Internet population in China.
Since 2015, the online video market has expanded rapidly, reaching 187.13 billion yuan (€23.8bn) in 2018, tripling in size in three years."
Source:  Advanced Television, 12th June 2019

Facebook Watch has 140m DAUs & 742m MAUs

"Facebook says bigger audiences are revving up revenues for publishers and creators on Watch, its rival to YouTube.
On Wednesday, Facebook revealed updated audience stats on Watch, the video platform it launched in 2017 to drive viewers to longer video programs where they would be more inclined to watch commercials, and it now has 140 million daily active viewers and 720 million monthly active viewers. Facebook, like YouTube, splits ad revenue with video creators; Facebook gives them 55 percent of the haul.
At the end of last year, Facebook said that 75 million people viewed Watch shows daily and 400 million each month. Viewers are counted if they only spend one minute watching videos, so Facebook is not measuring the audience in the same way as, say, a TV network would."
Source:  AdAge, 12th June 2019

Avengers: Endgame has generated over $1bn in 3D ticket sales

"Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame, the  critically acclaimed epic conclusion to the historic 22 film superhero franchise, has now generated over $1 billion in 3D ticket sales worldwide since the film debuted on screens, according to data from ReadD.
The film is only the third in history to reach this milestone along with Avatar and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. To date, approximately 45 per cent of the film’s box office has been generated from 3D ticket sales. Avengers: Endgame is the fastest film to ever hit the $1 billion mark in 3D box office."

Source:  Advanced TV, 8th May 2019