Analyst: Binge viewing is pervasive
August 9, 2017
According to new research, Binge Viewing – A Consumer Snapshot, from The Diffusion Group (TDG), the phenomenon – viewing more than one episode of a TV series back to back – is rapidly becoming universal, with nearly nine-in-ten Adult Broadband Users (ABUs) binging at least occasionally. But the frequency of binge viewing skews strongly in favour of younger adults, says TDG
TDG’s new analysis identifies and profiles three groups of adult broadband users in terms of their binge viewing habits.
- Heavy Bingers (binge daily, comprise 14 per cent of ABUs),
- Medium Bingers (binge monthly but not daily, comprise 51 per cent of ABUs), and
- Light/Non-Bingers (21 per cent of ABUs that binge less than once a month, 14 per cent that do not binge at all).
Importantly, TDG analysts found that the frequency of binging is strongly correlated with the viewer’s age. For example, 58 per cent of Heavy Bingers are between the ages of 18 and 34, while 56 per cent of Light/Non-Bingers are age 45 and older.
“The fact that 31 per cent of Heavy Bingers are between the ages of 18 and 34 further illustrates just how different millennial viewing habits are from those of older generations,” notes Michael Greeson, President and Principal Analyst at TDG. “For more than a decade, TDG has predicted and observed a structural transformation in what it means to ‘watch TV,’ with viewing behaviour slowly changing from an activity defined by flipping between different live shows on different networks, to one characterised by on-demand binging of individual series.”
As these consumers age and younger generations steeped in quantum habits follow behind them, Greeson argues that this behaviour will only become more prominent, further impacting programming and distribution strategies.