New Data: Streaming Service Users Are Wasting More Time Looking for Something to Watch
Consumers now spend an average of 12 minutes trying to find programming, up from 10.5 minutes in 2023. Many report feeling "overwhelmed" by streaming media.
Study Overview
A new Gracenote study titled 2025 State of Play surveys consumers in the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Brazil, and Mexico.
Nearly 33% of streaming users feel content and service fragmentation negatively impacts their TV experience.
Among the 25-34 age group, this sentiment rises to 40%. Despite the popularity of streaming, 45% of users find the experience overwhelming.
Content Discovery Issues
The longer it takes for viewers to find something to watch, the less enjoyable the experience becomes. Globally, consumers spend an average of 14 minutes searching for content.
- In the U.S., the search time increased to 12 minutes in 2025, from 10.5 minutes in mid-2023.
- French viewers spend about 26 minutes searching, equivalent to the length of an entire episode.
Impact on Streaming Platforms
The report indicates that 19% of viewers will abandon a session if they cannot find content quickly.
Author's summary: The increasing difficulty in content discovery on streaming services leads to frustration and higher abandonment rates, highlighting a need for improved search and recommendation systems.