Streaming could replace TV viewing, study finds

TV viewing is in danger of being replaced by streaming services as the primary platform of long-form programming watching among Millennial audiences, according to new research.

Rod-PerthPreliminary results from NATPE Content First and the Consumer Electronics Association’s joint research study shows just 55% of Millennials aged between 13 and 34 consider TV as their primary viewing platform. In its place, streaming devices are set to dominate their preferences.

Eighty-four per cent of Millennials surveyed by E-Poll Mark Research said they had consumed full-length streamed video in the past six months, compared with just 54% that had watched live programming at its original air time and 33% that watch recorded content via DVR.

Other findings showed Millennials valued their Netflix subscriptions more than broadcast and cable channels, with 51% saying the streaming service was “very valuable” compared with 42% for broadcast channels and 36% for cable subscriptions.

Half said they watch TV shows on laptops, with 19% saying this was their preferred viewing platform. Twenty-eight per cent consume long-form video on tablets and 22% on smartphones.

Overall, seven out of 10 viewers in broadband-connected homes have streamed full-length television programmes in the past six months. According to NATPE president and CEO Rod Perth, this means “there are opportunities for networks and content producers to reach and build audiences”.

Generation X – usually defined as those born between the early 1960s and the early 1980s – were the heaviest users of cable, satellite and telco time-shifted offers such as VOD and DVR. Seventy-six per cent said they use a VOD service more than once a week. The study reported DVRs were primarily used to avoid commercials, while VOD was for convenience.

The preliminary results of the study were revealed at a session during the 2015 International CES conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, yesterday. The full results will be unveiled at NATPE in Miami later this month.

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