Some 96% of Americans watch television, according to Harris Interactive. The vast majority (85%) watch primarily on a TV set, including 18% who sometimes view via computer. Some 5% of Americans view shows equally on TV and on a computer, and 5% watch primarily on computer.
Watching TV via a computer is far more common among 18-34 year olds than their older counterparts. While 72% watch TV primarily on a TV set, that includes 24% who sometimes watch on a computer. One in 10 (10%) watch equally on TV and on a computer, and 12% watch primarily via computer.
Streamers
While the majority of households still view TV in the traditional way, via a TV set, a growing proportion watches a significant amount of shows and movies by streaming them from the Web, thanks to network websites, Hulu.com, and Netflix’s watch instantly service.
One in five households (20%, or 34 million) stream more than four hours of video from the Web in an average week and spend less time watching live TV than they did a year ago; Say Media terms these households “On Demanders.” One in eight households (13%, or 22 million) are termed “Opt Outs.” They don’t own a TV or haven’t watched live TV in the prior week and they stream more than four hours of video from the Web in an average week.
Both On Demanders (average age 38) and Opt Outs (average age 36) are younger than the rest of online Americans (average age 42). Opt Outs include the highest proportion of 18-24 year olds (30%), followed by On Demanders (23%), and the rest of online adults (15%). On Demanders have a median annual income of $65,000, compared to $54,000 for other online adults. Opt Outs have a lower-than-average median income ($42,000).
On Demanders have an average of 5.4 devices in their homes that they can use to view video, compared to Opt Outs who own an average of 3.9 devices and the rest of online adults who own an average of 4.6. Nearly half of On Demanders (47%) are Netflix subscribers, compared to 25% of Opt Outs and 24% of the rest of online adults. Four in 10 (40%) have a mobile video device. All of them (100%) view live TV in a typical week, and 89% also use the Internet to watch video. Three quarters (75%) watch video via DVD in a typical week, 39% watch via DVR, 39% via streaming TV, and 25% via mobile.
On Demanders watch the most TV per week, averaging 30 hours. Opt Outs average 21 hours per week, and the rest of online adults average 25 hours per week. More than a quarter of On Demanders time viewing video (27%) is streamed online. Opt Outs stream 52% of the video they watch. Only 16% of the video viewing other online adults do is streamed.
Americans may be tolerant of online video advertising; a recent study by The CW found that 95% of viewers watched advertising in the online stream of their shows to completion, and 97% watched to the middle of the ad. But consumers may be more accepting of that advertising because it comes with long-form online video that they have sought out to view.
What They Watch
Americans most commonly say they watch network and cable TV shows equally (36%), finds Harris Interactive. Three in 10 (30%) mostly watch network shows, and 29% mostly watch cable shows.
Men and women are equally likely to say they evenly split their TV viewing among network and cable shows (36% each). Women (33%) are more likely than men (26%) to say they watch more network shows, whereas men (33%) are more likely than women (25%) to say they watch more cable shows.
While the vast majority of Americans (82%) think that network TV shows will be a large part of people’s viewing habits, 65% think people will watch more cable TV shows in the near future. Slightly more than half of Americans (51%) think cable shows are of much higher quality than network shows. Nearly half (48%) say current TV shows are horrible regardless of whether they are on cable or network TV. [Television, Online]
Sources: “Off The Grid: Marketing To The Next Generation Media Consumer,” Say Media, Matt Rosenberg, VP Solutions, 180 Townsend St., San Francisco, CA 94107; 415-738-5100; offthegrid@saymedia.com. Price: Call for information.
“Troubles For Traditional Media,” Harris Interactive, Alyssa Hall, 161 Sixth Ave., New York, NY 10013; 212-539-9749; ahall@harrisinteractive.com; www.harrisinteractive.com. Price: Available online at no charge.
The CW, Rob Tuck, VP Network Sales, 11800 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025; 310-575-7000; rob.tuck@cwtv.com; www.cwtv.com.
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