Advanced Television

Half smartphone video consumption in the home

May 31, 2012

Independent online video technology company Tremor Video has unveiled research that indicates viewers are no longer confining content to specific devices in era of seamless connectivity, with tablet and Connected TV viewing on the rise.

The study, conducted in partnership with research-based strategic consulting firm Frank N Magid Associates, suggests that viewers are moving seamlessly across devices and accessing video content wherever they are, no matter the device, and that viewers have entered a connected content culture where they expect entertainment regardless of space, time, networks or creators.

Among the key findings of the study – commissioned to understand how viewers access video content on different devices and in different – are the fact that 52 per cent of all smartphone video is viewed at home, with peak viewing hours between the hours of 5 and 11 pm., mirroring TV peaks and indicating that viewing on mobile platforms is no longer confined to ‘mobile’ behaviours. Smartphone viewers have historically gravitated toward short-form content, but long-form video now accounts for nearly 40 per cent of smartphone video viewing every week.

Video consumption is growing across the board. There has been a 38 per cent increase in accessing video online and a 34 per cent increase in accessing video on smartphones over the past year. Meanwhile, video consumption on tablets has already exceeded smartphone viewing, and consumers are using their devices simultaneously. Tremor Video and Magid found that 85 per cent of tablet viewers have been on their tablet while watching TV.

Tremor Video and Magid also discovered that 8 per cent of current mobile/connected TV viewers plan to cancel their pay-TV service in the next year. Another 23 per cent are seriously considering cancelling, with 81 per cent saying online over-the-top video options are the primary reason.

When it comes to video advertising, 75 per cent viewers have interacted with online video ads in the past month, with 58 per cent demonstrating some level of ad effectiveness, including clicking on the ad, visiting a site, visiting a store, or making a purchase.

“By looking at the type of content consumers watch on multiple devices, as well as where they view this content, we’ve learned that the device has no effect on the type of content,” said Doron Wesly, Head of Market Strategy for Tremor Video. “It’s important for video producers – whether online or on traditional TV – to look at new devices not as competition, but as new opportunities to engage viewers beyond current content and advertising offerings.”

“In essence, we’ve discovered that the device doesn’t matter,” said Mike Vorhaus, President of Magid Advisors, a division of Frank N. Magid Associates. “Viewers primarily want fluid accessibility to video. The belief that people want to avoid long-form content on a mobile device is a myth. Advertisers need to think about video as video, whether viewers watch it on the subway, at the home, or over-the-top of their basic TV service.”

Categories: Articles, Connected TV, Consumer Behaviour, In Home, Mobile, Mobile TV, OTT, Portable Media, Research