The idea of TV watchers being wedded to the couch has officially come to an end, according to a the phase-three findings of a survey by Rovi of pay-TV and OTT content subscribers in the US, Europe and Asia.
Globally, nearly two thirds (60 per cent) of respondents said they frequently stream content in their car or on public transportation, 29 per cent of respondents said they view content while at work and 24 per cent said they view content in the car.
“Given the revelations from the first two study phases of just how tightly bonded viewers are with their entertainment, it comes as no surprise that the practice of watching TV and streaming content has liberated viewers from having to spend hours on the couch,” said Michael Hawkey, senior vice president and general manager of discovery, Rovi. “It stands to reason that new trends in entertainment discovery and consumption have as much to do with the prevalence of smart mobile devices as it does with the explosion of new and compelling content and service platforms.”
In addition to insight on preferred viewing locations, the survey uncovered data on the importance of sound entertainment search and recommendations:
– 51 per cent of global respondents said their providers should focus on improving the ability to search for entertainment content to make it easier and more effective
– 70 per cent of all respondents said they would prefer to find programmes on-platform versus watching something their friends and family recommended
– Among all respondents who reported that they do not frequently use recommendation capabilities, more than a quarter said it is because the recommendations are not tailored to the content they like or are irrelevant to them
– One third of respondents from Germany and France believed providers should focus on recommendations
– 58 per cent of global respondents said they would be open to anonymously sharing information about what they like to watch
The survey also shed light on the most popular sources for TV and streaming entertainment:
– 77 per cent of all respondents said they currently subscribe to alternative TV or video content providers, such as Netflix or Hulu more so in the US and Europe compared to Asia Pacific
– Millennials (84 per cent) and parents (81 per cent) were more likely to subscribe to alternative TV or video content providers
– 48 per cent of global respondents said they watch live TV most often, followed by on-demand (30 per cent) and via their DVR (17 per cent)
– 37 per cent of European respondents said they watch on-demand content most often
