Online Video Barely Dents TV Time
The use of online video continues to grow, but it still is having little effect on traditional TV viewing and services, with TV shows making up a small percentage of total online viewing and only 8% of adults who internet video reporting that they watch TV less often, according to consumer research studies from Leichtman Research Group, Inc. (LRG), and the Center for Research Excellence.
The LRG study found that 34% of adults online at home report that they view some type of video online at least weekly, including 11% who view video online daily. This compares with 31% of those online who viewed video online at least once a week last year, and 25% two years ago.
In terms of the types of online video viewing being done, LRG found that only 8% of respondents watch repurposed TV shows online, compared with 24% who watch news clips, 20% who view user-generated clips on YouTube and 15% who watch sports news or highlights.
LRG said that these findings reinforce that fact that while the number of people watching recent TV shows online has increased, TV shows rank well down the list of the types of video that people are regularly viewing online, and the impact on traditional TV viewing and multi-channel video subscriptions has been negligible.
The survey did find that younger age groups, including teens - who were included as a sub-sample in the study - watch a higher percentage of TV online than their older counterparts.
Additional LRG study findings:
- Overall (including those not online), 1% of adults view recent TV shows online daily, and 8% weekly - compared with 6% weekly last year.
- 24% of adults report viewing a news clip online weekly, 20% view YouTube or other user-generated video online weekly, and 15% view sports news or highlights online weekly.
- 93% of adults with a TV report spending at least an hour a day, on average, watching TV, and 35% of adults spend at least four hours a day watching TV - similar to last year.
- 8% of adults who watch video online strongly agree that they now watch TV less often, while 75% strongly disagree.
- 18% of teens who watch video online strongly agree that they now watch TV less often, while 61% strongly disagree.
- Among all adults online, 3% strongly agree that they would consider disconnecting their TV service to just watch video online - compared to 4% last year.
- Those who watch recent TV shows online weekly are no more likely to consider disconnecting their TV subscription than others.
- While weekly online TV show viewers spend twice as much time online per day as the average adult, they are also more likely than average to subscribe to a premium service, have digital cable, use on-Demand, have an HDTV, and subscribe to a bundle of services from a single provider.
- Just 6% of those who watch recent TV shows online weekly are likely to switch from their multi-channel video provider - compared with 11% of others
“Time spent watching TV is virtually unchanged from prior years, and multi-channel video subscriptions are at an all time high despite the challenging economic environment,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for LRG. “While those watching recent episodes of TV shows online increased in the past year, they still represent a small portion of all adults; and this group tends to express less likelihood to switch from their video provider than others. There is next to no evidence of any significant number of consumers currently ‘cutting the cord’ to their multi-channel video subscription to only watch TV shows online, and it is unlikely that this type of behavior will become commonplace in the near-term.”
CRE Study Findings
Similar findings were recently released in the recent Video Consumer Mapping (VCM) study (pdf) by the Council For Research Excellence, reports MarketingVOX. That study found that the average US adult watches 5 1/2 hours of live TV every day, but views online videos for just a few minutes.
The Nielsen-sponsored VCM study revealed that computers and mobile screens have clearly taken time away from TV, but online video still has a long way to go. Users between ages 18-24 spend more time in front of their computer screens than any other group (143 min a day on average, doing various activities), but even this group watches 210 min of traditional TV every day.
About the research: The LRG study findings are based on a survey of 1,250 households nationwide, along with a sample of 250 “teens” ages 12-17, They are part of an LRG study, Emerging Video Services III. The CRE/Nielsen VCM study is based on detailed observation of media exposure of a large number of American consumers, primarily former Nielsen TV People Meter panelists.