Netflix Still Trumps Amazon, Hulu in Peak Streaming Traffic

20 Nov, 2014 By: Erik Gruenwedel

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As expected, Netflix accounts for the largest percentage of North American downstream streaming traffic at 34.89%, while subscription streaming competitors Amazon Prime Instant Video and Hulu Plus trail significantly at 2.58% and 1.41%, respectively.

Netflix’s North American peak downstream streaming traffic stood at 31.6% during the prior-year period.

The data is outlined in Sandvine’s “Global Internet Phenomena Report 2H 2014,” and is based on data from a selection of Sandvine’s 250-plus communications service provider customers.

Amazon Instant Video has established itself as the second-largest paid streaming video service in North America. While still only accounting for 2.6% of downstream traffic, its share has more than doubled in the past 18 months.

In advance of plans to start offering a standalone streaming subscriptions in the United States, HBO Go accounts for just 1% of downstream traffic in the region.

Interestingly, as Netflix prepares to bow service down under in Australia and New Zealand, about 2.5% of subscribers are accessing the service — despite not legally available — and it comprises as much as 4% of peak downstream traffic.

“With both Netflix and Amazon Prime gaining bandwidth share in North America during 2014, it will be fascinating to see how a standalone HBO Go streaming option will impact networks when it launches in 2015,” Dave Caputo, CEO of Sandvine, said in a statement.

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