2013/11/29 TV Viewing Behavior is Much More than Favorite Shows
By Keith Nissen
Common sense dictates that everyone’s TV viewing behavior is not the same. For instance, my wife has favorite shows for every night of the week. Whereas, my college-aged daughter enthusiastically follows only a select few TV series, all of which are viewed online. I, on the other hand, haven’t found a must-see TV series since Northern Exposure ended. The screwball comedy just appealed to my warped sense of humor, I guess.
There is very little viewer loyalty beyond the TV series itself. Our favorite shows change from year to year without regard to network affiliation. Add to this a plethora of high-quality original TV series from premium TV networks and online video services and the competition for our TV viewing hours is likely to grow exponentially in the future.
In contrast to the dynamic nature of what we watch on TV, other aspects of our TV viewing behavior change at a much slower pace, if at all. Most people have very firm attitudes regarding how connected devices are used. They might watch a short YouTube video on a smartphone, but prefer a larger screen when it comes to viewing a feature-length movie. The same goes for time-shifting preferences. Some people gravitate toward using a DVR service, while others prefer online catch-up TV. A person’s unique set of TV viewing behavior and preferences will dictate how time-shifted TV content is accessed. Understanding these traits will be vital to the TV content producers’ ability to win the battle for our eyeballs.
As a real-life example, we can examine catch-up TV preferences. Figure 1 illustrates the varying levels of interest in watching our favorite TV series. The data was collected from an online survey of 1,021 US adults in October 2013. Only 15% of TV viewers indicated they set their daily schedule around their favorite broadcast TV shows. When these TV enthusiasts miss a show, 70% will use a DVR to record the missed episodes.
Another 38% of TV viewers watch much more time-shifted TV programming. These avid TV fans prefer to use online catch-up web sites to view missed episodes, supplemented with DVR recorded content. A similar portion of adults are less dedicated to specific TV programs and are OK missing episodes without catch-up TV. Regardless of the quality and popularity of TV content, it is unlikely that a person’s overall interest in TV programming will change substantially over time. However, by understanding catch-up TV behavior and preferences, content producers and service providers can influence the time-shifted TV programming that is viewed and how it is acquired.
Figure 1. Which of the following statements best represents the level of interest you have in the broadcast TV show you enjoy watching the most?
Further reading on the dynamics of time-shifted TV viewing can be found in the MRG research report Don’t Give Up on TV Everywhere Just Yet!, USM#100703, November 2013. The report is part of the MRG US Multiscreen Entertainment research service.
The Multiscreen Entertainment research service is dedicated to providing an understanding of how consumer behavior, attitudes and preferences impact video entertainment consumption. Devices, services and video content trends are examined through the lens of the consumer, yielding both a unique perspective on today’s video entertainment market, as well as insight to how it can evolve in the future.
