TiVo: Young gravitate to streaming for sports
December 13, 2017
TiVo has released the 19th edition of its quarterly Video Trends Report, covering key topics across pay-TV, OTT, TV network apps, streaming devices, smart home devices, and content discovery. Based on a survey of over 3,000 consumers, the report illuminates many insights, including:
1. The Future of Pay-TV According to Consumers – As the video industry evolves and demographics shift, TiVo wanted to understand how age affects TV viewership. Two key areas stand out:
Next-gen pay-TV viewing experiences – 41.2 per cent of respondents desire a cross-catalogue video user experience, in which all video providers are in one place, and over half of respondents would like cross-catalogue search functionality (i.e. Linear, Netflix, Hulu, etc). When it comes to cross-catalogue, how do younger generations, the future of pay-TV subscription, compare to older demographics, who may be more loyal to traditional pay-TV service? TiVo’s data reveals that respondents aged 23-25 show the highest interest level (73.1 per cent) in the ability to search across numerous video platforms.
Streaming sports – Because sports broadcasting rights have given pay-TV providers a competitive advantage for decades, TiVo wanted to investigate emerging trends in how various age groups view sports content through alternative sources such as league websites and social media. Results are clear: younger generations gravitate toward these services to watch sports. Specifically, sports streaming is most popular among those aged 18-35.
2. Correlation Between Smart Home Device Owners and Voice Search Users – Smart home devices rely on voice commands to perform tasks, and more recently, as manufacturers market more living room integration, viewers are using these devices to find TV shows/movies to watch. Thus, TiVo’s Data Science Team researched whether a correlation existed between respondents who use smart home devices and those who leverage voice search — whether through smart home devices, set-top boxes with voice capability, or streaming devices with voice capability — to find content to watch.
Notable highlights include:
– 62.5 per cent of respondents using their voices to search for TV are also smart home device owners.
– 13 per cent of those who aren’t currently using their voices to search for TV, but would like to do so, also own a smart home device.
– 40.8 per cent of smart home device owners answered they can use voice search to find TV shows and movies, but do not.
3. Does Usage of Content Discovery Functionality Affect Viewer Satisfaction and Engagement? – TiVo has always believed offering high-quality content discovery functionality can positively affect viewer engagement, which can, in turn, positively affect satisfaction. The question is: do respondents really feel this way? The following data suggests that they do:
– Respondents who use, or are interested in using, at least two content discovery features are also the same respondents who fall into the “very satisfied” with the service category.
– Those who are less frustrated with trying to find something on TV, including both linear and sports content, are more satisfied and engaged.
4. Pay-TV Provider’s Results of Educational Marketing efforts for New Voice Search Functionality – TiVo has advised pay-TV providers to produce marketing materials educating viewers on exactly how key features work, and why they’re beneficial. A major pay-TV provider took this advice, providing a first-hand look into how such efforts can impact viewer engagement. The results are eye-opening, and include the following insights:
Provider’s Goal – To teach subscribers, through educational TV commercials, how to move beyond simple voice search commands such as changing channels or adjusting volume to more complex conversational searches.
The results: Adoption of Voice Search – Those actively using voice search grew by 25 per cent after the commercial aired.
The results: Complexity of Voice Searches – Conversational voice searches increased 33.3 per cent during this time frame and usage remained high well beyond the commercial run.