RESEARCH: Live mobile TV would increase viewing
July 13, 2012
The Mobile Content Venture (MCV), a joint venture consisting of 12 major broadcast groups that operate the Dyle mobile TV service, has unveiled new research indicating that consumers are seeking various options for mobile TV consumption. The Dyle Mobile TV Data Report, conducted by Research Now, polled a representative sample of 510 US consumers (Adults 18-54) to find out how live mobile television would fit into their lives. The Omnibus study revealed three important takeaways:
1. Live TV matters, and mobile TV consumption is additive: 85 per cent of consumers have watched live TV in the past month, and 68 per cent of respondents would watch more TV if they were able to watch it live on mobile devices while on the go.
2. Smartphones and tablets are key devices: over 50 per cent of consumers would consider watching mobile TV on smartphones and tablets.
3. Mobile TV can help early distributors gain market share: 61 per cent of consumers would be somewhat or very likely to switch cellphone providers to get mobile TV.
“These results show that live TV remains an important part of people’s lives,” said Salil Dalvi and Erik Moreno, Co-General Managers of the Mobile Content Venture. “As people upgrade to smartphones and tablets, live TV is a must-have service. Whether you are a wireless carrier or a cable/satellite operator, it seems clear that enabling the ‘living room experience’ on the go can be a smart business opportunity. The exciting part of all of this is that the technology to deliver this experience in a truly scaleable way is finally here.”
Additional key findings from the study include:
Programming: Consumers want mobile TV to deliver news and weather, even with the ready availability of this content online. The survey indicates that consumers look to their local stations to help them decide what is important — particularly when there is a breaking news story or weather emergency. The most anticipated types of programming to be viewed on live mobile TV by respondents include: local news and weather (81 per cent), movies (79 per cent), national news (75 per cent), sitcoms (69 per cent), sports (66 per cent), children’s cartoons (65 per cent), drama (64 per cent) and reality shows (53 per cent).
Use cases: Mobile TV will offer consumers a variety of ways to stay entertained while on the go. While many people use email, Facebook and Twitter feeds as important productivity and communication tools, the data demonstrates that mobile TV provides a simple way to stay entertained when they don’t have access to their main TV screen. Top mobile television use cases cited by respondents include: killing time while waiting (85 per cent), entertainment while in transit (76 per cent), entertaining kids in the car (74 per cent), as an additional TV at home (63 per cent), staying connected at sporting events (53 per cent) at the gym (52 per cent), and sneaking some TV time at work (44 per cent).