TV’s declining viewership remains a frequently debated topic, when looked at in isolation via traditional tracking methods, the TV figures are indeed trending downwards. The reality is, TV as a medium is experiencing fragmentation and this has proven to be a challenge for many researchers, not least because the conventional tracking capabilities for TV are restrictive and are not keeping up with other media.
RealityMine and TouchPoints specialists have bridged the challenge of tracking TV viewing in a fragmented multi-media world, by enabling a view of all media consumed by the mass audience, including media sources such as Streaming (on any device), pre-records using DVR / TiVo, as well as the usual Live TV.
In the first chart, we looked at the TouchPoints eDiary data which is filled in on half-hourly basis, to understand the split between various media sources. This confirmed that, unsurprisingly, Streaming is increasing year on year, primarily driven by the Millennials group (aged 18-34).
The proportion of time spent on each media source has also shifted with Streaming gaining momentum, widening the gap with pre-records as indicated in the second chart. As content becomes more relevant to audiences rather than media platform, the gap between Streaming and Live TV will only get smaller.
An interesting piece of information we have uncovered is that Millennials display much higher level of Interest and Passion vs Boomers (aged 35-64) when Streaming any videos.
The third chart examines the different Streaming devices amongst total Adults vs Millennials during Weekday Prime Time slots, and it is evident that Millennials Streaming is dominated by Computer and Game Console platforms.
Whilst pre-records and Live TV are adequately measured in the industry in terms of trends and behaviour, Streaming due to its flexibility in device remains the big question mark for the industry. Content isn’t just being watched on computers and mobiles anymore, it is also available on tablets, game consoles, and eBook readers to name a few, and this diversity will continue to grow.
