Which streaming services does Airbnb offer
For this post I wanted to investigate what streaming services Airbnb offers. To answer this, I analyzed 270k US listings sourced between December 2022 and March 2023. Data was sourced from Inside Airbnb, an activist project with the objective to provide data that quantifies the impact of short-term rentals on housing and residential communities. The following graph shows the proportion of listings that offered a streaming service as an amenity.
Most popular streaming service for Airbnb
Netflix is the most popular streaming service offered in Airbnb listings. 8.3% of listings sampled offered Netflix. The next most popular services was Hulu at 5.1% of listings. All other streaming services including Roku, HBO Max, Disney+, Apply TV, and Amazon Prime Video are offered in less than 5% of listings.
Overall, 11.3% of listings analyzed offered a streaming service with 69% of those listings offering more than one.
Can Airbnb hosts increase their price by including a streaming service
A previous analysis demonstrated price is primarily determined by the number of rooms, the overall quality, and location of a listing. For many amenities, including them will not allow a host to charge more for their listing and this is true for streaming services. Hosts will not be able to charge more for their listing by including a streaming service.
Will including a streaming services increase occupancy on Airbnb
Adding a streaming service is unlikely to make a difference to the occupancy rate directly. Guests are not making decisions on which Airbnb to choose based on whether a streaming service is included. Factors such as price and location are far more important to guests when choosing an Airbnb.
Why should Airbnb hosts offer a streaming service
Even though including a streaming service won’t allow hosts to charge more or significantly increase bookings, it is still a good idea to include one. The reason for this is that it adds value. Airbnb listings that create value will see that translate to a high value rating. Higher value scores allow hosts to justify higher prices and generate more demand which leads to more bookings.
Best streaming service for Airbnb
Roku is the streaming device most experienced hosts recommend. The advantage of Roku is that it can be set up in guest mode and is compatible with most streaming services. Guest mode allows guests to log-in using their own credentials and will automatically sign them out on a pre-programmed date. This way hosts don’t have to use their personal account or worry about guests making unauthorized purchases.
How to set up TV for Airbnb
The easiest way to set up TV for an Airbnb is to get a Roku. Before a guest checks in, set the Roku to guest mode. Program the sign-out date to the same date as the guest’s check-out. On midnight of that date, the Roku will automatically sign out of all streaming services and all sign-in details will be forgotten. To ensure a smooth stay for guests, hosts can also leave detailed instructions on how to use the Roku.
Key Takeaways
- 11.3% offer a streaming service. Of those, 69% offer more than one
- Netflix is the most popular streaming service offered in Airbnb
- Roku is the best streaming device as it allows guests to log-in using their own credentials.
