Deloitte: TV Schedule Still Guides Viewing Choices

NEW YORK: In its 2012 Technology, Media & Telecommunications Predictions report, Deloitte forecasts that 95 percent of TV programs watched this year will likely be viewed live or "near live."

With viewing to either be live or within 24 hours of broadcast, little change is shown from the viewing habits a decade ago, says Deloitte. "People will allow the TV schedule to guide almost all of their viewing choices, regardless of whether they are watching shows on a conventional TV, computer, or smartphone; and regardless of the network technology used, be it cable, satellite, phone line or conventional antenna," the report states.

The belief is that technology has not shattered the TV schedule, but rather has made it stronger by making it more flexible. DVR storage is predicted to continue to increase and penetration rates are expected to rise. Devices that further enable consumers to watch non-broadcast TV, including PCs, tablets, game consoles and connected TVs, are expected to be found in a growing number of homes.

"Despite these factors that should be luring consumers away from traditional broadcast TV, the schedule remains surprisingly powerful," the report continues. "Humans seem to prefer structure, stability and predictability. In one study, the predictability of a reward stimulus was more important than the actual stimulus. We may be biologically and neurologically ‘hard-wired’ to prefer schedules and routine, no matter how often we profess a desire to watch ‘what we want, when we want, where we want.’"