Digital entertainment innovator Rovi Corporation, and media strategy and research company Decipher Research, have released the phase one results of a three-part study exploring connected TV device usage and advanced advertising in Germany.

The first phase looked at user demographics, device familiarity and usage, and compared the media habits of connected device owners to those of the average German households. The study found connected device owners were super consumers of media content who spend more time online, more money on pay-TV subscription services, and are actively involved in second-screen viewing activities – including a large percentage who have used secondary devices to search online for information related to what they are viewing on TV.

The first phase of the German study was conducted as an online survey involving 500 connected TV device (Samsung TV or Blu-ray Disc player) owners. The German study is a component of Rovi’s comprehensive evaluation and analysis of connected TV device owners and advanced advertising worldwide. Rovi has already collected and released key findings of similar studies conducted in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom. The second and third phases of the German study, expected to be complete in the fourth quarter, will assess interactive advertising awareness and effectiveness on connected devices.

“Connected TV devices are fundamentally changing consumers’ media viewing habits and reshaping TV advertising models,” said Jeff Siegel, senior vice president, Worldwide Advertising, Rovi Corporation. “As they have for Rovi customers in the US and elsewhere in Europe, our studies will enable German advertising agencies and brand marketers to gain a clearer picture of how connected TV viewing reaches and impacts consumers. Armed with these insights, our customers will be able to utilise these platforms to better engage consumers through high-impact campaigns that drive positive brand interaction and measurable results.”

The research found that Connected device owners are:

• primarily males (71 per cent), who are more educated and earn more than the German national average
• high consumers of media content who own a number of video-capable gadgets (2.5x more likely to own a tablet than the national average)
• more likely to have fast broadband connections with average speeds of approximately 27.7Mbps, which is 63 per cent faster than the national average
• more likely to have a Pay TV service in the home; for example, 19 per cent of connected device owners have Sky versus a national average of 9 per cent
• enthusiastic about technology, with 67 per cent indicating they keep up-to-date with the latest technology developments, and 45 per cent stating they are the first of their friends to buy new technology

In terms of connected device feature usage, the findings suggest that:

• 80 per cent of device owners use connected features
• as well as using pre-installed TV apps, connected users download an average of 6 additional apps
• in terms of the context of usage, content is a key driver with 38 per cent of users accessing the connected features to explore content to watch, schedule TV viewing (31 per cent), or to find specific programmes (24 per cent)
• users noted they appreciated the ease of use of connected features and the ability to access apps without using a separate device
• 16 per cent of connected owners indicated they’ll spend less time on the Internet because they can now access apps on the TV, while 13 per cent indicated connected features will prompt them to watch more TV

Findings related to media consumption suggest that connected device households:

• spend on average 3.1 hours a day online at home; over one-half hour longer than the average German consumer
• frequently use second screens during TV viewing; respondents that indicated using secondary screen ‘all’ or ‘most of the time’ while watching TV accessed the second screen on:
• Tablets (51 per cent)
• Smartphones (49 per cent)
• Laptops (40 per cent)

• have used a second screen to search online for information related to what they are viewing on TV (79 per cent)
• have viewed full-length movies via a second screen (67 per cent) while 66 per cent have viewed video clips
• are highly active consumers of online content with consumption being the greatest for video-related sites. Sites used once a week or more:

• YouTube (60 per cent)
• Sat.1.tv (38 per cent)
• ZDF Mediathek (38 per cent)
• VoxNow (35 per cent)
• Kabeleins.tv (34 per cent)

Categories: Advertising, Articles, Connected TV, Consumer Behaviour, OTT, Research, Targetted