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Global insight on the streaming wars - what do app reviews reveal?
(Maps viewable on desktop only)
Phrasia has analysed 7,500 open-text app reviews for Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon, across the US, Canada, UK, Germany, and Japan. The analysis shows that each app has carved out a unique set of strengths and weaknesses.
Each dot on the below map represents the full text of a review, in the original language along with English.
Hover your cursor over the dots to read the underlying statement for each. Please allow up to 90 seconds for the map to load.
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App reviews by platform
The chart below shows the extent to which specific apps are associated with selected narratives from the above map.
Disney: 'kids and cartoons' narrative
73% of ‘kids and cartoons’ reviews are for Disney+. This reflects underlying strength in content properties and characters, and suggests that Disney's equities as a brand are highly transferrable and relevant to the streaming space.
Amazon: 'value calculation' narrative
86% of ‘value calculation’ comments are through ratings of Amazon, with a many mentioning Amazon Prime specifically. This is a clear reflection of the fact that the Prime proposition is fundamental to how Amazon "shows up" as a brand in the streaming space.
85% of ‘Annoying ads’ reviews were also from Amazon.
Netflix: 'Content and show selection' narrative
Netflix reviews comprise almost all of the Cuties mentions. Cuties objections are a dominant feature in Netlix US reviews - at least recently.
Netflix's relative strength is in the ‘show selection’ cluster - where the company comprises 47% of all reviews.
This reflects a broader challenge for an incumbent which trailblazed the space of video streaming. To grow, Netflix has to expand audience, and to expand audience, they have to offer progressively more content (eg show selection). However, the broader the canvas for Netflix's programming, the more likely that it will hit the same cultural faultlines faced by other iconic US brands, such as Nike, the NFL, and others. Cuties is an early test of how Netflix will navigate these faultlines.
Netflix and the Cuties boycott: How bad is it?
In the US, Cuties appears to be having a significant impact on app reviews, as:
- The 'Cuties fallout' cluster is defining the current conversation about Netflix - at least among app reviewers in the US. 46% of the most recent 500 reviews for Amazon in the US are in this cluster
- 97% of reviews in the Cuties fallout cluster are rated as “1” on 5-point scale
- These low app ratings result in an average Netflix app rating of 2.1 on 5 point scale within the US. This compares poorly to an average US rating of 3.4 for Disney+, and 3.2 for Amazon Prime video.
-By contrast, relatively few Amazon reviews in Canada, UK, Germany, or Japan mention Cuties. 'Cuties fallout' comprises only 9% of Canadian Netflix reviews, and less than 5% in all other countries - far below the 46% measured in the US
App reviews by country: everyone wants anime
How do the reviews play out by country? This map provides a view that breaks out the same reviews, delineated by country.
Click on the legend to see which countries have a similar profile (eg US and Canada) versus different (UK and Japan).
The "want more anime" narrative is a quantifed testament to the global appeal of anime: Note how balanced by country these reviews are.
Disney+: a UX challenge in Japan?
The clustering in the maps allow for deeper dive, resulting in simple, actionable insight. For example, the below chart contrasts some of the largest clusters in Japan Disney+ reviews versus Disney+ US reviews. As strong as Disney+'s content is, a disproportionate number of reviews in Japan cite bugs/UX/letdowns and subtitles. These comprise more than 45% of all reviews in the market, suggesting that Disney+ has room for improvement in the ease and usability of its platform which are specific to Japan.