Binge-Viewing Rising Sharply

NEW YORK: According to new GfK MRI research, 57 percent of TV viewers report regular binge-viewing, up 12 percent in just ten months.

Nearly six in ten TV viewers say they have regularly watched three or more episodes of the same show in one sitting, be it via streaming, DVR, VOD or TV marathons. Overall, 73 percent of regular bingers report having a positive view of their binge-viewing habits. Two out of three (77 percent) say it is “so fun to binge-watch, I have a hard time stopping,” and roughly half (48 percent) feel that binge-viewing keeps them “up to date/in the know.”

Four in ten (41 percent) regular binge-viewers report that TV shows they have never seen occupy most of their binge-viewing time, compared to 35 percent for “old favorite” programs. Only 22 percent say that original shows from streaming services take up the majority of their binge hours.

Streaming services are the main platform for binge-viewing, with two-thirds (66 percent) of regular bingers saying that streaming is the binge-viewing option they use most (up from 58 percent ten months ago). About one in four (22 percent) regular bingers say DVRs are their main source of regular binge-viewing, and one in five (19 percent) rely on traditional TV marathons.

The number one reason cited for why people binge is that they have free time. Other top motivations include catching up on shows currently airing and inability to stop watching because the viewer is hooked.

“Binge-viewing used to have negative connotations in viewers’ minds,” said Karen Ramspacher, the senior VP of consumer insights for GfK MRI’s special research on TV viewing. “But as it expands further into the mainstream, people are excited to embrace the behavior. From DVD box sets to DVRs to cable TV marathons, binge-viewing has been enabled by a host of video platforms and packages, but streaming services have taken this habit to new levels. Programming for bingers, and figuring out how to advertise to them more effectively, are key challenges for programmers and networks alike.”