www.c levert a p.
c o m
Industry
Benchmarks
for Media and Entertainment (OTT) Apps
From User Acquisition to Retention
Know where your app stands in the
industry and unlock the insights that
make leading OTT apps succeed.
Executive
Summary
Observe The number of viewers who prefer consuming
content on TV versus mobile devices has plummeted
what makes industr y-leading
from 52% to 23%,1 signaling a massive shift towards
apps successful
on-demand video and audio consumption.
More than 49 million or 53% of households in the US
have at least one OTT service. These households
Compare consume OTT content an average of 19 days a month,
your app’s per formance for 2.2 hours a day. 2
to the industr y average
In such dynamic times, where customer preferences
keep changing, it becomes increasingly challenging
for OTT apps to deliver unique experiences that keep
users coming back.
Learn
best prac tices to engage So how do the top OTT apps deliver an engaging
users across lifecycle stages user experience?
We analyzed 8.7 billion data points across 100
million devices and 80 million unique users to find
Grow insights that help measure your customer
engagement strategy against some of the most
with data- driven recommendations successful apps in the OTT industry.
to improve user retention
2
Table of Contents
Introduction: How to Make the Most of This Report 4
- The State of the Media and Entertainment (OTT) App Industry
- Monitoring the Metrics that Matter
User Onboarding Benchmarks 6
- Registration Rate
- Average Time to Register
- Additional Metrics to Watch
- Recommendations: How to Improve User Onboarding
From Onboarding to Engagement: Engagement Rate & Frequency 9
User Engagement Benchmarks 11
- Click-Through Rates
- Session Frequency
- Additional Metrics to Watch
- Recommendations: How to Boost User Engagement
From Engagement to Retention: Retention Rates Weeks 1-4 15
User Retention Benchmarks 16
- Stickiness
- Retention Rates
- Additional Metrics to Watch
- Recommendations: How to Increase User Retention
From Inactive to Churned: Churn Rate 19
User Reinstall Benchmarks 20
- Uninstall Rates
- Reinstall Rates
- Additional Metrics to Watch
- Recommendations: How to Drive User Reinstalls
About CleverTap 23
Additional Resources & Methodology 24
3
The State of the Media and
Entertainment [OTT]
App Industry
The over the top (OTT) streaming industry has seen tremendous adoption in recent years. The
modern living room now features several connected devices for video streaming, and many
apps have entered the market to serve the growing demand of entertainment on the go.
Leading OTT content services like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and Amazon Prime Video are
followed by popular regional players like Hotstar, Voot, JioTV, and SonyLiv. With such intense
competition, the need to differentiate your offering with exclusive content and a superior
customer experience becomes all the more important.
The teams owning growth and marketing for OTT apps need answers to questions like:
How do we increase and sustain our subscriber growth rate?
How do we micro-segment our audience to offer personalized recommendations?
What are the best ways to engage customers from acquisition to brand advocacy?
Are we using the right metrics to measure our engagement campaigns?
This benchmark report provides stats across the user lifecycle, including user flow from one
lifecycle stage to another. It includes proven strategies and best practices to help OTT
companies keep subscribers coming back month after month.
4
Monitoring the
Metrics that Matter
The competitive landscape for OTT apps is changing constantly, for native apps and browser-
based apps alike. It’s critical for marketers to benchmark their performance and growth against
industry standards. This report covers all the metrics that matter to help you get a complete
picture of how your apps stacks up against peers and competitors.
In order to hook users on your app and increase viewing hours, you must create an engaging
streaming experience at every stage of the user lifecycle — from acquisition to advocacy. Use
this report to monitor the key metrics at each stage and understand industry standards for each
KPI. You’ll also get insights into how many users typically advance to each stage, and when, to
optimize your app’s funnel.
Throughout this report, watch out for our data-backed CleverTips to help you engage and
delight customers at each stage and grow your app’s revenue.
5
ONBOARDING ENGAGEMENT RETENTION REINSTALLS
User Onboarding
Benchmarks
HOLA!
A great user onboarding experience can improve user adoption by 7X. When a new
user downloads and launches your app, you need to deliver a perfect First Time User
Experience that helps them experience the aha! moment as soon as possible.
Time to login is a good indicator of the value a user sees in your offering. You can
optimize this metric by building an amazing onboarding process.
6
Install to Average Time to
Registration Rate Register
What percentage of users installing the app How long does it take for a new user
create an account? Closely monitor the to register and log in to your app?
install to registration rate to optimize the Time to register is a good indicator
user onboarding process. of the value a new user sees in your app.
Industry Industry
Benchmark Benchmark
78%NEW
of
8 MINS
AV E R AG E
USERS TIME
register within a week it takes a new user to
of installing the app. register after first app launch.
#CleverTips
Greet users with a welcome message on first app launch
Nudge users to register via an in-app message that focuses on subscription
benefits or highlights popular content
Offer a brief product tour that covers the most important actions users take inside
the app
7
Additional Metrics to Watch:
METRIC DESCRIPTION
Average App Load The average time it takes for your app to launch or load
(Launch) Time on your user’s device
Average Cost Per User The average cost you incur in getting a user to install and
Registration register on your app
Crash Rate The percentage of app loads that result in crashing
Recommendations:
How to Improve User Onboarding
Use these tactics to improve your onboarding for different types of user segments.
USER SEGMENT TACTICS
Show an informative tutorial or walkthrough wizard on the
day of app download and launch highlighting key content
and features
Acquired but Not
Converted Users
Run a “Welcome!” or “Thank You for Downloading” email
campaign on days 1, 3, and 7 post app download informing
the user about app features, content library, and benefits of
a subscription plan
Registered and Send push notifications, emails, or SMS with personalized
Converted Users recommendations on days 7, 15, and 25 after they first watch
content
8
ONBOARDING ENGAGEMENT RETENTION REINSTALLS
From Onboarding
to Engagement
Onboarded users who see immediate value in your offering are most likely to stay
engaged and build long-term brand loyalty. During this initial phase, it is important
that you know their interests and preferences.
Top OTT platforms ask users to select favorites from a list of genres during
onboarding. It helps to deliver a more relevant experience tailored to match each
user’s preferences.
9
Average User Average Transition
Engagement Time to Next Stage
Engagement is measured by a variety or The average time users take to move from
combination of user actions like video onboarding to the engagement stage. Are
played, added to watchlist, or playlist users interacting with your content
created. Highly engaged user cohorts tend frequently?
to be more profitable.
Industry Industry
Benchmark Benchmark
26%
ofNEW
72
HOURS
USERS
engage with media Average time for users to play
at least 3 times in the first month media 3 times and move to
the engagement phase.
#CleverTips
Ask users about their favorite genres or categories to start delivering a personalized
experience
Send campaigns with personalized recommendations or popular content
Prompt users to opt-in for push notifications to increase reachability
10
ONBOARDING ENGAGEMENT RETENTION REINSTALLS
User Engagement
Benchmarks
Personalized user engagement campaigns nurture your brand’s relationship with
customers and drive higher viewership. It’s the foundation for better user retention in
the long term.
The user experience should feature personalized streaming recommendations both
via in-app notifications along with external channels like push notifications and email
messages. Tracking click-through rates helps you optimize message content, delivery
times, user segments, and campaign strategies.
11
Click-Through Rate Session Frequency
Click-through rates (CTRs) help measure The average number of monthly app
the effectiveness of your marketing launches for your app helps you
campaigns. Are your messages generating understand how often users come
the response you intended? Are they back to your app.
prompting users to open your app?
Industry Industry
Benchmark Benchmark
5% 16
AV E R AG E AV E R AG E
C L I C K-T H R O U G H NUMBER OF
R AT E S APP LAUNCHES
for push notifications per user in a month
#CleverTips
Nudge users to resume abandoned media they last played to increase content
completion rates
Use in-app notifications with content recommendations on app launch
Facilitate new content discovery with previews triggered on app launch. Use optimal
time of engagement with features like CleverTap’s best campaign send times
12
Additional Metrics to Watch:
METRIC DESCRIPTION
Average Session The amount of time from when a user launches the
Length app until they stop using the app
Average Session How often users launch your app in a given period
Frequency
Recommendations:
How to Boost User Engagement
Try these tactics to improve your app engagement and monetization for different
user segments.
USER SEGMENT TACTICS
Use in-app notifications to nudge an onboarded user to
easily search for, create, and/or consume content upon first
launch
Onboarded but
Use in-app notifications to inform an onboarded user about
Non-Converted Users
the benefits of a subscription plan on first launch.
Users who have successfully
been onboarded, but haven’t
Run personalized push notifications or email campaigns on
completed a key in-app action
days 1, 3, 7, 14, and 21 that inform onboarded users of new
like searching for a TV show or
content and features
viewing a video
Run personalized push notifications or email campaigns
encouraging repeat users to sign up for your loyalty
program
13
USER SEGMENT TACTICS
Use in-app notifications or emails to suggest relevant
content based on the user’s first in-app conversion event.
First-Time For instance, if a user prefers horror movies, nudge them to
Converted Users watch “Suggested content” in the same or related genres
Users who have completed a
key in-app action for the first Use in-app notifications to encourage newly converted
time, such as adding a title to users to sign up for a subscription plan to access exclusive
their watchlist, viewing a or ad-free content
trailer, or completing a movie
or TV series. Run in-app notifications or email campaigns on days 7, 10,
and 15 after the conversion event asking for ratings and
reviews
Run personalized push notifications or email campaigns
encouraging repeat users to sign up for a higher tier
Repeat Converted Users subscription plan
Users who have completed
multiple in-app actions over a Run personalized push notifications or email campaigns to
period of time, such as inform repeat users of new content
watching multiple videos or
renewing a subscription plan. Run in-app notifications or email campaigns on days 7, 10,
and 15 after the user’s last in-app conversion requesting app
ratings and reviews
14
ONBOARDING ENGAGEMENT RETENTION REINSTALLS
From Engagement
to Retention
Weekly Retention Rate For browser-based apps and native apps alike,
100%
growth cannot solely rely on acquiring new users.
Retention rate is the percentage of users who stay
active over a certain period of time. They are vital
75% to the health of any growing app and should be
monitored from day 1.
50%
41.80% Drop offs in engagement and viewing hours are
31.80% early signs of churn. Build viral growth loops within
22.60%
25%
your app that keep users hooked. And engage
20.00%
users with timely, personalized messages that
prompt them to relaunch the app and complete a
0 key action — like watching the next episode in a
WK 01 WK 02 WK 03 WK 04
TV series or tuning in to live video/sports events.
Retention Rate
#CleverTips
Industry
Benchmark
Nudge users to add content to their
41.8%
watchlist, and remind users of unwatched
items on their watchlist
Use Psychographic Segmentation to
RETENTION understand users' predominant interests
R AT E * and preferred genres
for new users on Day 7
Notify users of new releases and remind
*defined by media played at least them to resume unfinished content
once during the time period.
15
ONBOARDING ENAGAGEMENT RETENTION REINSTALLS
User Retention
Benchmarks
User Retention is the foundation for sustainable app growth. It is defined as the
percentage of users who stay with the app over a specific period of time after
installation: typically measured on day 1, day 3, day 7, day 30, day 60, and day 90.
Prioritize retention rate as a key metric to building your user base and fueling
continual business growth.
16
Stickiness #CleverTips
“Stickiness” measures how much users are Incentivize users to commit to longer
engaging with a product or feature. The subscriptions by offering a discount,
higher your app’s stickiness quotient, the access to exclusive content, etc.
more frequently your monthly active users
Use cohort analysis to track retention
are returning to your app.
rates for various user segments: new
users, current users, users acquired via
paid ads, etc.
Industry
Benchmark Create automated omnichannel
campaigns based on users’ behavior and
24%
lifecycle stage. Use CleverTap Journeys
to target specific user segments at the
right time on the optimal channel with
personalized promotions, subscription
reminders, and upsell offers to improve
AV E R AG E conversions and retention
STICKINESS
[DAU/MAU]
Additional Metrics to Watch:
METRIC DESCRIPTION
Average Revenue Per Total Revenue Generated During a Specific Timeframe /
User (ARPU) Total Number of Active Users During a Specific
Timeframe
Customer Lifetime The value a customer contributes to your business over
Value the entire lifetime
17
Recommendations:
How to Boost User Engagement
Try these tactics to improve your app engagement and monetization for different user segments.
USER SEGMENT TACTICS
Run personalized push notification or email campaigns
asking about their preferred TV shows/movies, genres, or
Engaged but Not actors on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 since the user’s last app launch
Loyal Users
Users who view content Run personalized push notification or email campaigns
infrequently showcasing new content and app features on days 3, 5, 10,
17, and 30 since the user’s last app launch
Send push notification or email campaigns encouraging
users to sign up for your subscription plan or start a free trial
on days 10, 17, 21, and 28 since the user’s last app launch
Run push notification or email campaigns with personalized
recommendations based on favorite genres or actors, timed
for when the user is typically active
Engaged and Loyal Users
Users who regularly consume Use in-app notifications to ask for app ratings and/or
content and renew their reviews after users have viewed at least 10 videos
subscription
Use personalized push notification or email campaigns to
send subscription renewal reminders and payment details
18
ONBOARDING ENGAGEMENT RETENTION REINSTALLS
From Inactive to Churned
Churn is when a user stops seeing value in your app
and stops using it. Data suggests that a drop in activity
(both long form and short form consumption) is an early
sign of churn.
Users who are inactive or dormant are at risk of
cancelling subscriptions or simply uninstalling
the app on their devices. By monitoring churn,
tracking trends, and proactively engaging
with at-risk user segments, you can remind
users of your app’s value and increase
long-term retention.
#CleverTips
Industry Re-engage users who've gone inactive after
Benchmark consuming content by sharing personalized
67%
recommendations, the latest additions to your
content library, or new feature updates
Identify and proactively engage with users who
are likely to churn before they uninstall using
of USERS
automated segmentation, such as CleverTap’s
Churn* in Recency, Frequency and Monetary (RFM)
Analysis
2 WEEKS Analyze content consumption across
geographies, genres, and times of the day or
*defined by no media played
during the time period. week with data discovery tools like CleverTap’s
Pivots
19
ONBOARDING ENAGAGEMENT RETENTION REINSTALLS
User Reinstall
Benchmarks
Reasons for uninstall can vary from UI/UX issues, functionality, performance, or
engagement experience. But monitoring uninstall rates and seeking feedback from
uninstalled users will give you valuable insights into your user experience and what
you can do to prevent future uninstalls.
To win back uninstalled users, you can send promotional emails and launch
remarketing campaigns. Track campaign ROI by measuring reinstall rates.
20
Uninstall Rate: Reinstall Rates:
Even the most successful apps see some Reinstall rates help you measure the
users churn. By monitoring uninstall rates, effectiveness and ROI of your
you’ll have a better understanding of your remarketing campaigns.
user experience and what leads to
uninstalls.
Industry Industry
Benchmark Benchmark
35%
AV E R AG E
20%
AV E R AG E
U N I N S TA L L R AT E R E I N S TA L L R AT E S
within 30 days of first app launch within 30 days of app uninstall
#CleverTips
Eliminate friction points within your app by tracking user behavior using path analysis
tools such as CleverTap’s Flows
Win back users with time-sensitive, targeted promotional offers
Request user feedback to understand the reasons for uninstalls
21
Additional Metrics to Watch:
METRIC DESCRIPTION
Cost of User The cost you incur in reacquiring an uninstalled user
Reacquisition
Recommendations:
How to Drive Reinstalls
Use these tips to encourage app reinstalls for inactive and churned users:
USER SEGMENT TACTICS
Converted but Run personalized push notification or drip email campaigns
Disengaging Users: offering steep discounts or access to exclusive content to
Users who have previously encourage a subscription renewal on days 14, 21, 28, and 42
purchased a subscription or as you see user activity drop off
regularly consumed content but
are launching your app less Run a “We miss you” push notification or email campaign to
frequently encourage such users to relaunch your app
Run a personalized email campaign on days 1, 5, 10, and 17
post uninstall asking for user feedback to understand why
they uninstalled
Uninstalled Users:
Users who have uninstalled Run a “We miss you” or “Here’s what you’re missing” email
your app campaign on days 7, 14, 28, and 42 post uninstall
highlighting the latest offers, additions to your content
library, and new features
Run a “we are just a click away” email sign-off campaign as
part of your Sunset Policy on between days 43-50 of app
uninstall
Re-acquired Users: Run a personalized “Welcome back” in-app campaign on
Users who have chosen to first app launch after reinstall
reinstall your app
22
We help consumer brands
retain their users for life.
A Complete Mobile Marketing Suite for OTT Brands
Build an immersive, personalized media app experience that keeps users coming back.
Vodafone Play
Display Content Based on User Behavior
One size doesn’t fit all. Track user activity to create detailed user profiles, including search
history, favorite genres or artists, subscription type, preferred language, and average session
length.
Monitor Users as They Consume Content
Get deeper insights into your users’ app journey and identify friction points that delay time to
value. Also find conversion events that drive monetization and send messages that help achieve
these goals sooner.
Create Seamless Cross-Platform Experiences
Today’s users start consuming content on one platform and end the session on another.
CleverTap helps you maintain a seamless experience across mobile devices and browsers — and
connected devices too.
Talk to our Mobile Marketing Experts today!
GET IN TOUCH
23
Additional Resources:
How Hotstar Scaled User Engagement to Lead the Media & OTT App Market (Case Study)
Key Lessons to Turn Up The Volume on Your Media App User Acquisition (Blog)
The Secrets of Successful Media App Onboarding (Blog)
4 Tips to Power User Engagement for Your Media App (Blog)
Methodology:
Our data science team analyzed billions of data points across multiple
OTT apps in the first half of 2018. We did a deep-dive into user behavior
inside the app, responses to engagement campaigns, and conversions to
understand the key factors that contribute to growth. Over 8.7 billion user actions
across 100 million devices and 80 million unique users were studied for this report.
For questions regarding methodology, please contact marketing@[Link].
Sunnyvale | San Francisco | New York | London | Mumbai | Bangalore
[Link] | info@[Link]
