Communications and Technology Industry Research

Despite the growing popularity of viewing television content online, most adults – 94 percent – who subscribe to cable or satellite television services prefer to watch TV on traditional sets, according to new research conducted by the Nielsen Company for the Cable &Telecommunications Association for Marketing.

 

One-third of the adult broadband users (35 percent) surveyed for the CTAM study said they watched at least one television program originally shown on TV via the Internet and, of those who sought out video content online, 87 percent watched television programs directly from a TV network Web site.

 

“Tracking how consumer behavior is changing as a result of new television viewing platforms is critical to our business,” said Char Beales, president and CEO of CTAM. “As preferences are made clear through research, cable companies and content providers evolve the product mix to best suit viewers’ needs and desires.”

 

Eighty-two percent of those who watched video content online reported that they went online to find a specific television program that they missed when it first aired on TV. This indicates the critical importance of strong marketing for the initial TV showing and the success that major networks are having by taking popular programs to the online platform.

 

Online television viewers are not only catching up on their favorite shows, nearly 40 percent report using the Internet to get the scoop on actors and upcoming episodes, according to the study, “CTAM Tracking the Evolving Use of Television and Its Content: Wave 4 Trend Results and Analysis.”  

 

When asked what TV-related activities they have done online, 39 percent said they’ve read background information about a show’s cast member, 38 percent said they’ve viewed a show’s previews; 37 percent said they’ve read background information about the show or the show’s characters, 27 percent viewed a behind-the-scenes video clip, and 26 percent said they’ve read or viewed a show’s cast member interview.

 

Asked to choose among 17 online content categories, online television viewers said they prefer to watch shorter video clips when they go online. Specifically, movie trailers (53 percent), user-generated videos (45 percent), music videos and general news segments (37 percent), comedy programs (31 percent) and sports clips (31 percent) were the top choices.

 

“With so many viewing options now available via digital technology, it’s more important than ever to understand how people are consuming media,” said Susan Whiting, executive vice president, the Nielsen Company. “This analysis shows a continuing strong appetite for watching television the traditional way even as viewers begin to extend their viewing to the personal computer.”

 

In general, the study found that people are spending more time online each week than they were two years ago. More than half of respondents – 51 percent – reported being online for at least three hours a week last year. In 2005, just 41 percent of those surveyed said they spent three or more hours online per week.

 

The analysis also found growth among services associated with traditional television set viewing. For example, respondents’ knowledge and usage of video On Demand services increased between 2005 and 2007. Free On Demand programs and movies also experienced a jump in usage from 49 percent in 2005 to 71 percent in 2007, while paid On Demand usage increased from 46 to 55 percent.

 

Other findings are that: HDTV subscribers are loyal, with two-fifths of those who own HDTV sets subscribing to a high-definition programming service; digital cable and HDTV are posed for further growth; viewers are accessing TV content via new media platforms such as desktop computers, laptops and cell phones; and portable video platforms are slowly gaining popularity. But, while 82 percent of adults in the study own a mobile phone, only 7 percent subscribe to a video downloading service.

 

Data for the study was collected via a nationwide telephone survey of 1,200 adults and 300 teenagers who subscribe to standard cable, digital cable or satellite television services. The full report is available for purchase on the CTAM Web site.