BUT THEY STILL PREFER PRIMETIME TV
The lead of the announcement form the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is that a quarter (24%) of the American adult population, an audience of 59 million strong, is turning to original digital video programming at least once a month. But our readers will no doubt be interested in this sentence much further down: “In line with last year’s survey findings, today’s viewers of original digital video clearly prefer that type of content to the news, sports and daytime programming found on TV, and like it almost as much as they do primetime television.” So, even people who really like original online videos still prefer primetime TV programs.
The survey of over 1,900 consumers, produced by GfK for IAB, shows that young cord-cutters/nevers are about twice as likely as other adults to view original digital video. 53% of cord-cutters and 63% of cord-nevers see original OTT programming as “very” or “somewhat” important in their decision not to have pay TV. In addition, cord-cutters/nevers are inclined to find the ads shown during this type of programming to be “more interesting” or “fun” (43%), and they are not alone—a third (35%) of the general original digital viewing audience is in agreement about the likability of the ads on this sort of content.
Connected TVs (56%), smartphones (56%), and tablets (48%) are being used to stream original digital video more than twice as often as two years ago, while computer viewing of original digital video (72%) remains steady. Two-thirds (65%) of those who stream original digital video to connected TVs state that they typically watch during primetime (8-11 pm) and half (53%) of them report they are doing so more than they did a year ago, largely driven by more (and more interesting) content along with ease of use of connected TVs.
While word of mouth (53%) comes first in the discovery of original digital video content, social media sites are playing a larger role—approaching twice that of two years ago (42% vs. 24% in 2013). 55% of regular viewers of made-for-digital video programming say they have greater social media interactions than they do during traditional TV—even when it comes to primetime TV fare (39%).