Roger Ebert's Anecdotal Streaming Evidence

Every day, Roger Ebert picks a film that is available streaming online to share with his readers on social media. Tonight, he posted this message to his Facebook page:

{% blockquote -Roger Ebert http://www.facebook.com/RogerEbert/posts/448410911838580 Facebook %} So let me get something straight. A while ago I asked you about my Daily Streamers. Almost all of them are found on Netflix Instant. I asked how many of you would be OK with titles on Hulu. A lot of you said that would be fine. But I’ve noticed the Hulu links don’t get nearly as many hits. And when I link something from Fandor, I’m disappointed by the response–even though watching on Fandor is free with their introductory sub, which is not binding. For me, the fact that Fandor shares its revenues with the indie filmmakers is rather noble. But I’m getting the idea that the great majority of you are on Netflix, period. That’s fine with me. I love it. I’m also on Fandor and Hulu. I like Fandor’s bonus materials. So give me some feedback. {% endblockquote %}

I never even think about whether or not someone I know has a Netflix account, I just assume that they do. If a film I know is streaming on Netflix Watch Instantly comes up in conversation, I will immediately suggest, “Watch it on Netflix.”

The other services? Not so much.

I had a Hulu Plus account for awhile but I got rid of it, mostly due to what I see as the company’s lack of respect for me as a customer.

Fandor, however, is a site I feel guilty for not having an account on. They have a great selection and an excellent blog, Keyframe Daily, but I just haven’t gotten around to it…yet.

Ebert’s link tracking looks about in line with what I’d expect. Just about everyone who regularly uses the Internet (namely Facebook and Twitter, where Ebert shares these links) has a Netflix account. It’s less likely they have a Hulu account and, for now, it’s a safe bet that almost none of them have a Fandor account.

The comments on the post suggest that most people haven’t heard of Fandor. Scratch that, hadn’t heard of it. With any luck, the site will get a boost from Ebert’s 90,000+ fans.