Joe Dougherty

Sophia Cripouris
Laura Cardno
Danielle Dirkx
Qualitative Study
Our Study
We conducted a focus group and four in-depth interviews in order to thoroughly understand
the streaming services chosen by college students. Our group used these qualitative
methods to discover consumer perceptions on streaming services and learn how students
choose their video service. We wanted to understand why people prefer Hulu to other
services, where video content is consumed (couch, bed, living room, etc.), and why
students choose to pay for services when illegal content is available.
On Thursday March 1st at 7:00 p.m. we conducted a group interview with three TCU
students in Reese Jones Hall. It lasted for 30 minutes. The respondents fit into our target
audience (18-24 year-olds searching for convenience, flexibility, reasonable pricing, and a
wide range of programming with their streaming). Students were able to feed off each
others ideas and discover what TCUs community collectively felt about Hulu and Netflix
and video streaming in general.
The majority of Hulu users are also young, digitally savvy individuals who try to
accommodate downtime in between their social lives and academic schedules. Our
interviewees fell into this category, since they themselves are college students with busy
schedules and a knack for hanging out and watching TV.
Three females and one male participated in individual interviews, which lasted around 30
minutes. These interviews were far more intimate and provided more insightful, honest
information. We found that students were truthful and provided full disclosure on using
illegal services, but went into much further detail in individual interviews. It also exposed the
true personality and lifestyle of college students.
The Role of Streaming Services
Our qualitative study found that college-aged students prefer to hang out with others in
their leisure time and that video streaming is a separate, isolated activity. We asked multiple
TCU students how they spend their leisure time and most said they sat on their bed or
couch and watched Netflix. The majority of males said they usually use their gaming
console as a streaming device, whereas the females preferred to view TV shows and
movies from their laptops. This finding supports our secondary data, which showed that
men are more likely to own a gaming console with access to streaming services. Both PS4
and Xbox 360 offer Netflix and Hulu.
Video streaming was even a bedtime ritual for some. But when asked if this was preferred
over going out or just hanging with friends, our participants unanimously chose people

over their video streaming-alone time. It is clear that video streaming is either a weekday
detox or a last resort option on the weekend.
Millennials have a wide range of options when it comes to spending their free time, from
getting outside and enjoying the fresh air, going out with friends, or simply enjoying a quiet
nap. It can be concluded that Hulu is one of the top options for leisure time. College
students often find themselves using Hulu as a form of procrastination before an upcoming
exam or to kill some extra time before or after a class. The temptation of being able to
watch another episode with only 10 seconds in between allows students to utilize streaming
as a form of procrastination.
Although automatically starting the next episode is convenient, it proved to be too much of a
temptation for one participant. She said, Its too easy for me to keep watching when it gives
me 10 seconds before automatically starting the new episode. I wish it would cut me off and
let me physically click on the new episode. That might help me waste less time. This shows
that video streaming is a great way to relax, but it can very easily become too big of a
distraction and get in the way of more important tasks.
Video streaming is an opportunity to rejuvenate and unwind after a long day. One participant
spent their leisure time watching Netflix because they were tired by the end of the day
because [they are] a nursing major and days are long. Video streaming allows us to
explore our personal interests without any social interruptions or distractions Sometimes I
watch things in a group, but I usually cant do that with shows that I care about, said a male
participant. Another student agreed: Watching Netflix is more of an alone thing and if its
something I really want to see, Ill watch it alone. We walked away from our study knowing
that Hulu is truly not a social product.
Awareness
I know that [video streaming] is a wave of the future and that it has single handedly put
Blockbuster out of business and a lot of companies are moving towards it. I know Amazon
just started its own streaming service.
--Individual interviewee
Im pretty familiar with [streaming services]. Netflix just has more of what I wanted and its a
flat rate and you pay by month. I actually haven't looked into Amazon prime, but Hulu does
not have as much of what I want. Im not interested in the latest episode, because if its a
show Im watching, you can find it on TV, the website, or on the channel website where it is
usually free. And also I dont start a lot of shows until theyre over and I can marathon
through seasons.
--Individual Interviewee
After both the focus group and the individual interviews it is clear that our target audience is
quite accustomed to online streaming. They know what their streaming options are and are
able to list off multiple providers. They know how to navigate each one no matter how

different they may seem as well. Awareness is the first step in making a rational decision
about a streaming domain preference and all participants were well informed.
Design and Layout
People go to Netflix to explore, search for content, and embrace preferred genres. Netflix
users have complete control. They tend to use Netflix as a source of binge watching, as it
allows them access multiple seasons of a TV show. Searching for content seems to be a
part of the Netflix experience. Hulu users complained about the layout and noted, Its hard
to find the full depth of their programming and research everything they have to offer. One
participant liked Netflix because everything was equally promoted. They didnt like that
with Hulu, you can tell theyre pushing you to watch certain movies. College students do
not go to Netflix to be cool and follow trends. They go to Netflix to have a personal and
unique experience. Hulus layout makes people feel like theyre participating in Hulus
program, not their individual experience.
During a personal interview, the participant talked about how Netflix was more inviting
when she first entered the site. Instantly she is shown her top picks and recently watched as
well as some Netflix recommended to her based off of what she has previously viewed. She
said she liked that a lot more than having to search for specific shows, which she feels she
needs to do on Hulu. She likes surfing through Netflix to find new movies, documentaries,
and popular shows to watch. It gave her a high level of satisfaction to discover a new show
via Netflix that nobody had watched before so she could be the first to recommend it to her
friends. She said that Hulu didnt give her the same satisfaction. It became clear that online
video streaming was more than just the viewing of the shows but about exploring the
website and finding new things to watch as well.
Affordability and Convenience
Many college students have little disposable income and cannot access a personal
subscription to Hulu, Netflix, or Amazon Prime. They will often choose the most inexpensive
option when it comes to entertainment. A group participant stated, I tried signing up for
Hulu once because I didnt know if it was free and it asked for a credit card, so I figured no.
Most students dont even choose their streaming service. Students often use whatever
account is paid for and shared among family and friends, regardless of their personal
preferences. One participant was asked if they would still use Netflix if they had to pay for a
personal account. This person responded with hell no!
One participant said that she preferred Netflix but because her friend had a Hulu Plus
account that was paid for, she used Hulu instead because it was what she had access to.
Our secondary data found that affordability and convenience are key for video streaming.
Our qualitative data not only confirmed this information, but showed how college students
truly work with what theyve got. This discovery is a reflection, not just of video streaming,
but of the entire college lifestyle.

Perception of Hulu
Hulu is where people go when they have a specific show in mind. One participant admitted
they just used it once to watch the latest season of Scandal. It is also clear Hulu has a lack
of depth. People visit Hulu to watch one episode and leave. As one participant said, I just
watched and got out. The service is used to keep up on the latest episode, but many of our
participants claimed they did not care about the latest shows and episodes. Many also
agreed that they would prefer to just wait until the entire season came out on Netflix so they
could watch all the episodes together. Some preferred to go to the Network site to watch
recent shows for free. For example, to watch Scandal the day after it airs, just go to
ABC.com and watch the most recent episode there and no membership fee is required.
In addition, Hulu has not received as much recognition as Netflix. As college students, a
common part of our daily routine is to go home after an exhausting day, put on our comfiest
sweats, post up and watch Netflix. We dont often hear the phrase I went home and
watched Hulu, or I cant wait to get in bed and watch Hulu. If a user is using Hulu as their
streaming device theyre more likely to say the title of the specific show theyre watching
instead of Hulu in general. The fact that watching Hulu is not a household phrase
demonstrates a massive perception problem. Viewers see Netflix as something that can be
described on its own, while Hulu is merely a tool for video streaming that may or may not be
worth mentioning in conversation.
Another issue Hulu runs into among consumers is the fact that they have commercials
implemented in their shows. Just like youre watching on live TV, a minute or so filled with
ads with pop up and interrupt your viewing. It was agreed upon by all participants in the
focus group that Hulus commercials were a distraction and made their streaming
experience sub par. One of the major reasons they liked Netflix instead of Hulu is because
Netflix eliminated all commercials.
Hulus Competitive Advantage
Though the students we interviewed tended to utilize Netflix over other sources, Hulu has
established a competitive advantage for themselves. Hulu allows consumers to stay up-todate with their favorite TV shows, as episodes are uploaded to Hulu immediately after they
are aired on TV. When we asked our interviewees if they had ever used Hulu, a common
answer was that they used it once.
Hulu also does a great job of providing two price options. Anyone can utilize the free service
and watch shows a week after they air on TV, or they can pay $7.99 to watch shows the day
after they air (Hulu Plus). Hulu is the only streaming service that offers this option. Some
users demand high quality, while college students may want to use Hulu in a more limited

fashion. As one TCU student said, Im cheap so I would rather wait a week. If it was that
important I would find time to watch it the night of.
Another competitive advantage is that Hulu offers shows only found on Hulu Plus. Just like
Netflix, it offers original series unique to the streaming site to attract viewers. One
participant said I dont really like Hulu that much and its not my first choice, but my friend
has a Hulu Plus account and I used that to watch Broad City which is a series only found on
Hulu Plus. This shows that even though Hulu isnt always consumers first choice, it is still
utilized for their exclusive selection.
The free service also acts as a test drive for Hulu Plus. Users can decide how they like the
website, the shows, and the overall experience before they commit to a monthly payment.
Students appreciated this and it matches our secondary data, which showed that price
options are crucial to the industry.

Legal vs. Illegal Services

The students were open to discussing illegal downloading, as they believed it was very
common. Though they believed it was common, they stated how it was mainly used as a
last resort if one of their active streaming sites did not have the video/movie they were
looking for.
One student said: I tried once, but there were a bunch of windows and pop-ups, so I just
immediately closed out of it. Students who use illegal services often have problems with
loading and viruses. As one participant said, I dont care enough to do it now because it is
too hard. This helped us answer one objective of why people choose Hulu, as it is much
less complicated and students feel more comfortable knowing they are using a safe route to
stream.
Some students were honest about their illegal activity, but only to an extent. Others did not
hold back. One participant admitted that yes, I download illegally and tell everyone about
these websites that work very well, such as Popcorn Time, Vod Locker, and Project Free
TV. Many students not only avoid shame, but feel a responsibility to share these illegal
sites with friends and family.
Doing the illegal stuff kind of scares me. If you get caught on the TCU server you can get
kicked off the server so I dont really want to mess with it.
--Individual Interviewee
Overall Findings
Overall, the respondents from our interviews all had similar views toward streaming
services. Most preferred to use Netflix as a source for binge watching, whereas Hulu was
used to watch relatively newer shows that were not yet uploaded to Netflix. After listening to
respondents, we feel that there is an evident perception problem related to Hulu. Netflix is

obviously the go-to source of streaming during students leisure time and Hulu seems to be
just a back-up plan that can only be used when a viewer has a specific show in mind.
Since Hulu is a back up to Netflix, it competes more directly with illegal streaming and
downloading (which apparently doesnt have much of a stigma around it).
Hulus perception as a backup plan is not only harmful to its popularity, but also the way it
is used. People can make plans to watch Netflix. They rarely state their plans to Watch
Hulu. It is possible for people to say they plan to watch a specific show on Hulu, but Hulu is
not the experience in and of itself. Hulu is merely a tool, while Netflix is an activity that can
be done. Netflix provides such a vast range of accessible options that people can visit the
site without having any specific plans or intentions. They consume content on Netflix without
even thinking. When it comes to Hulu, people feel the site is difficult to navigate without fully
understanding their own wants and needs.
Appendix
Informed Consent Sheet
Youre invited to participate in our qualitative study on video streaming services!
We are conducting group and individual interviews to understand how consumers use Hulu,
Netflix and other video streaming services. We are also looking for insight on what makes a
service preferable and how that can help Hulu in the future.
Note: We may ask questions about illegal downloading activity and other sensitive topics
involving your leisure time. All interviews will be shared with anonymous names.
I _____________________ agree to participate in this qualitative study.
Thank you so much!

Interview Guide
1. How do you spend your leisure time?
2. Do you prefer to spend it alone or with other people?
3. Do other people influence your entertainment options?
4. What do you know about video streaming?
5. What do you know about the different brands of video streaming?
6. Do have your own personal subscription to a video streaming site?
7. Do you subscribe to more than one brand of video streaming?
8. Do you use the free or paid services?
9. Have you ever downloaded illegally?
10. If yes, are you comfortable doing this/openly discussing it?
11. What caused you to resort to downloading illegally?
12. Which brand of video streaming do you prefer?
13. What is it about this brand that makes you prefer it?
14. What is your preferred setting [phone, ipad, laptop, etc.] for streaming video during
leisure time?

15. If they are only talking about Netflix Have you looked into Hulu/Hulu Plus?

Participants:
Emily Ashley
(21, Junior, Texas)
(830) 459-6312
Connor Edwards
(22, Senior, Texas)
(972) 800-0664
Will Forsythe
(21, Junior, Tennessee)
(901) 335-7234
Bentley Hudson
(20, Junior, Alabama)
(334) 399-0413
Brandon Lackner
(20, Sophomore, Texas)
(903) 253-1636
Kira Schleigh
(20, Junior, California)
(805) 729-6964
Emma Baird
(22, Senior, Texas)
(512) 619-0174