Title: A Study on Viewer Preferences and Popularity of OTT Platforms by using ANOVA
Author: Shubheecha Nakhawa
Introduction:
This study aims to analyze viewer preferences and the popularity of leading OTT (Over-The-Top) platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Jio Hotstar, and others. These platforms are widely recognized for their diverse content, user experience, and accessibility, making them dominant players in the digital entertainment industry. The research focuses on comparing viewer ratings and preferences based on a numerical scale from 1 to 10. The objective is to identify whether there are significant differences in user satisfaction and popularity among these OTT platforms. To achieve this, statistical analysis using ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) is applied. The findings will help understand platform positioning and audience perception in the highly competitive OTT streaming market.
Objective:
To identify the most preferred OTT platforms.
Literature review:
1. OTT platforms have transformed media consumption, especially after COVID-19, due to their convenience, flexibility, and diverse content. The pandemic accelerated their growth, with viewers shifting from traditional TV to digital streaming. Preferences are influenced by content variety, affordability, and personalized viewing, with younger audiences being the primary users. Despite challenges like competition and subscription fatigue, OTT platforms have become a dominant form of entertainment (Patni & Ansari, 2024).
2. The expansion of OTT platforms has been driven by diverse content, multi-device accessibility, and the rise of regional media, particularly among younger audience’s post-pandemic. Despite this growth, the sector faces significant challenges, including intense market competition, high production costs, and evolving regulatory requirements (Srivastava & Singh, 2025).
Data collection:
A survey was conducted to understand viewer preferences and the popularity of OTT platforms. The data was collected through Google Forms and further analyzed using statistical tools such as beta regression and ANOVA to derive meaningful insights. This study highlights trends in content consumption, platform popularity, and user preferences among the general audience.
Data Analysis:
Anova: Signal Factor
SUMMARY
|
Groups |
Count |
Sum |
Average |
Variance |
|
Amazon Prime Video |
30 |
248 |
8.26666666666667 |
3.37471264367817 |
|
Netflix |
30 |
258 |
8.6 |
4.04137931034482 |
|
Jio Hotstar |
30 |
251 |
8.36666666666667 |
3.27471264367816 |
|
ZEE5 |
30 |
213 |
7.1 |
4.16206896551724 |
|
Source of Variation |
SS |
df |
MS |
F |
P-value |
F crit |
|
Between Groups |
40.4333333333329 |
3 |
13.4777777777776 |
3.62967548883038 |
0.0150886866704 |
2.6828094071219 |
|
Within Groups |
430.733333333333 |
116 |
13.4777777777776 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
471.166666666666 |
119 |
|
|
|
|
ANOVA
A one-way ANOVA test was conducted to examine whether there is a significant difference in the average preferences of four streaming platforms: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Jio Hotstar, and ZEE5. From the summary statistics, Netflix (mean = 8.6) has the highest average rating, followed by Jio Hotstar (mean = 8.37) and Amazon Prime Video (mean = 8.27), while ZEE5 (mean = 7.1) has the lowest average rating. This indicates some visible variation in user preferences among the platforms. However, the ANOVA results show that the F-value (3.63) is greater than the F critical value (2.68). Additionally, the p-value (0.0151) is less than the significance level of 0.05. Therefore, we reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is a statistically significant difference in the average ratings among the four streaming platforms.
Conclusion:
Based on the ANOVA results, the ratings of the four OTT platforms differ significantly. Netflix and Amazon Prime Video received the highest average ratings, while Jio Hotstar and other platforms had comparatively lower ratings. This suggests that participants perceive Netflix and Amazon Prime Video more favorably compared to the other platforms. Further post-hoc tests could help identify which specific pairs of OTT platforms differ significantly in viewer preferences.
Reference:
Patni, Y. A., & Ansari, S. (2024). A Comprehensive Review of Literature on OTT Platforms. International Journal of Management, Economics and Commerce, 1(1), 76–83.
Srivastava, S., & Singh, R. P. (2025). An Analytical Study of Growth, Trends and Market Share of OTT Platforms in India. International Journal of Advance and Applied Research, 6(25), 219-225.