Study: Netflix holds top spot across all US streaming metrics
April 17, 2026
Conjointly Brand Tracker has expanded its coverage to include the US video streaming industry, shedding light on brand performance across this competitive sector. Initial findings include:
The US video streaming landscape is currently led by Netflix, which maintains the highest market presence across all tracking metrics: 92 per cent aided awareness, 79 per cent consideration, 74 per cent current subscriber, and 39 per cent preferred brand. The closest competitors in terms of combined awareness and primary choice are Hulu (82 per cent awareness, 61 per cent consideration, 52 per cent current subscriber, 15 per cent preferred brand) and Prime Video (79 per cent awareness, 62 per cent consideration, 56 per cent current subscriber, 18 per cent preferred brand).
Beyond total market scale, Netflix also leads the industry in conversion efficiency from awareness to preferred brand choice. Among the broader fields, Prime Video and Hulu demonstrate strong movement through the funnel, outperforming peers with similar levels of brand awareness. Disney+, despite solid awareness figures of 80 per cent and high current subscribership of 47 per cent, shows comparatively lower conversion to preferred brand status (7 per cent), suggesting an opportunity to strengthen its value proposition. At a lower level of the funnel, HBO Max, Paramount+, and Peacock operate in a notably similar competitive band, each achieving awareness in the 71–75 per cent range, consideration between 45–49 per cent, current subscriber between 31–37 per cent, and preferred brand share clustered tightly around 5–6 per cent, indicating that none has yet meaningfully differentiated itself from the others in driving ultimate brand preference.
Consumer perception data highlights different brand strengths across the sector. Netflix ranks first for perceived content variety (89 per cent), ease of use (86 per cent), price value (83 per cent), personalisation (87 per cent), and uniqueness (88 per cent), making it the strongest performer across all dimensions. Prime Video follows closely, matching Netflix on price value (83 per cent) with strong scores in ease of use (83 per cent) and uniqueness (85 per cent). Hulu also performs well above the market average across all five dimensions, particularly on content variety (86 per cent) and personalisation (84 per cent). At the other end of the spectrum, Starz and Apple TV score below the market average across all diagnostics. Brand trust is similarly concentrated at the top of the market, with Netflix (92 per cent), Prime Video (91 per cent), and Hulu (90 per cent) forming a leading tier well ahead of smaller players such as Apple TV (79 per cent), Starz (78 per cent), and Curiosity Stream (64 per cent).
“What stands out in this first wave of data isn’t just Netflix’s dominance. It’s how complete that dominance is, from first recognition all the way to preferred choice,” says Nik Samoylov, Founder of Conjointly. “But Prime Video and Hulu are doing something right too: consumers aren’t just aware of them, they’re choosing and preferring them, and that’s where brand battles are really won.”
The findings are based on a syndicated study of 1,427 US consumers, with 856 respondents qualifying and confirming they currently hold an active, paid subscription to a video streaming service. Participants were recruited via Conjointly’s panel network and compensated for their time, with the sample weighted to national demographics to ensure findings are market-representative.