There was a particular decline in the number of documentaries viewed (down 8%) and European films (down 9%). In contrast, views of animated films increased by 4%, as reported by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) on Friday.

The FSO recorded an even greater increase in Swiss films than in animated films in 2023, at 13%. However, their market share remained below 1%. The federal statistics have been collecting data on video on demand since 2019.

As in the previous year, American productions were the most popular in 2023. They accounted for 71% of views, followed by European films with 21%.

On the supply side, the growth of recent years slowed considerably. It increased by 2% to a total of 20,000 films. Subscription and streaming services offered 3% more films for rent and 6% more for purchase. According to the FSO, the offer grew by 46% in 2020. In 2021, the increase amounted to 22% and in 2022 to 15%.

Film rentals have stagnated since 2021 at a good 4.31 million rentals. After a 9% decline in the previous year, film purchases grew again by 8% to 0.94 million in 2023.

However, the use of VoD on streaming platforms such as Netflix and Co. remained almost unchanged or declined compared to 2021, depending on the type, as shown by the VoD statistics of the Federal Statistical Office FSO, which were published on Friday. According to the statistics, the viewing volume on subscription and streaming services increased by only two percent in 2022. Before and during the Corona pandemic, streaming platforms had been in high demand.

However, the range of subscription and streaming services has more than doubled. It is largely made up of European (39 percent) and American films (41 percent). On the demand side, American productions continued to dominate. According to the FSO, Swiss films accounted for less than 3 percent of the offerings and generated just under 1 percent of the views.

Animated films were popular. As in previous years, they were accessed disproportionately often. However, the trend for documentaries was downward.

According to the FSO, the survey on video on demand is part of the film and cinema statistics. It provides an overview of the range of films on VoD platforms that are available for payment in Switzerland. (SDA)