Consumers spent way more time watching video in 2019 compared to previous years, according to a Parks Associates study reported in Fierce Video. Video consumption rose by 33% in 2019 compared to 2018. When it comes to where people watch video, TV still ranks as the #1 destination. TV sets account for more than half of all video consumption. Video viewing on TV accounts for 5 times the amount of viewing done on mobile devices.
“Understanding consumers is key to driving acquisition and minimizing churn among video services,” said Steve Nason, Senior Analyst, Parks Associates, via news release. “Different demographics show markedly different attitudes and preferences. NPS scores for Netflix are higher among women, while NPS scores for premium OTT services such as Starz, Showtime, and HBO Now are higher among men. Younger video consumers represent the future of the industry, but their programming and platform preferences are distinct from older segments, which puts traditional pay-TV providers in a difficult position. Changing the traditional pay-TV service model could alienate older, high-ARPU customers, but not changing could doom future prospects.”
Most Enjoyed Channels = Local Broadcast
The study, titled 360 View: Digital Media and Connected Consumers, finds that more than one-quarter of US broadband households rank local broadcast channels as their most enjoyed type of channel, far ahead of all other types. With sports, local broadcast channels have long anchored the traditional pay-TV package. However, even this content is now moving online.
Networks that have gone direct-to-consumer, like CBS through its CBS All Access service, recognize the value of local content to drive viewers to their online properties and make local news available on their streaming platforms.
Other Key Findings:
- Adoption of over-the-top (OTT) video subscription services has plateaued at 71% of broadband households.
- Consumers ages 18-24 watch as much video on a computer as they do on a TV set (approximately 16 hours per week).
- One-half of US broadband households subscribe to Netflix. Amazon Prime Video is a distant second with a 38% adoption rate.
- One-fifth of broadband households use the free version of streaming music service Pandora.
- Consumers 18-34 spend nearly five hours per week listening to podcasts.