Netflix’s content ranges in length from movies lasting up to three hours to short-run documentaries running less than ten minutes. This wide range of content periods affords users many viewing options from which to pick when accessing content from their mobile devices. But like content choices, users also vary in their viewing habits, particularly by demographic traits such as age, gender, ethnicity, and household income. This blog details one key factor – age – by analyzing how Netflix users vary use levels by age groups.

As shown in the table, Netflix smartphone viewers exhibited interesting trends that differ by age group. The data reveals that younger audiences (ages 18-25) engage the Netflix app more frequently throughout a day as reflected in the daily engagement rate (7.2%) and number of daily sessions (4.3), which is 72% higher than the 46+ group, who use the app an average of only 2.5 times/day.

	Age Group
	18-25	26-35	36-45	46+
Daily Engagement Rate (%)	7.2%	6.3%	7.0%	5.0%
Daily Sessions	4.3	4.3	3.6	2.5
Daily Minutes	42.4	49.4	47.0	39.6
Average Session Length (minutes)	9.9	11.6	13.1	15.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This data reflects the differing mobile use and behavior of younger users, who view and absorb content in shorter bites compared to older aged users. Note that the average session length of the 18-25 group is 37% lower than the 46+ group, 9.9 minutes vs. 15.8 minutes, respectively. 

Upside Minutes Available For The Taking
The figures below highlight the range of session lengths within an age group. Despite the cluster of sessions in the 20 minutes or less range across all groups, there is a resounding number above this range, with significant numbers above the 50 minute mark. The notion that viewing media on mobile is capped or limited beyond a certain point such as one hour is not true. Based on the data, some mobile users can and are absorbing content at session lengths that warrant longer content.









Also worth noting is the average daily minutes stated in the table. Individuals between the ages of 26 and 35 watch the most per day at almost 50 minutes, which is 20% higher than the lowest average daily times of almost 40 minutes among the 46 and above group. This evidence strengthens the argument that users are capable of watching content with lengthy viewing times on their mobile devices, even if they are separated into smaller bite size chunks (as represented by the session counts) spread throughout a day. Noticeably, Netflix mobile users vary their use times and this analysis clearly showcases that use varies by age.