Nielsen: “Extreme Techies” Are Early Broadband Adopters

ALEXANDRIA: New research from The Nielsen Company shows that the "Extreme Techies" segment of broadband users stream significantly more online video content, watching up to 91 minutes or 1.5 hours per week, compared to the average 44 minutes for all broadband viewers.

These “Extreme Techies” represent 8 percent of the total adult 18 and older broadband population, or 4.6 million viewers, and comprise the most advanced group of all segments in online video consumption. They are also technology innovators, with 38 percent connecting their computers to their televisions via devices such as a Media Center PC or direct connection to view TV and movie content.

This data was revealed by the study, “Crossing Over: Understanding Viewer Multi-Screen Migration,” was commissioned by the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM) and is based on a complex, multi-dimensional segmentation analysis developed by The Nielsen Company.

“The research is unique in that it compiled a variety of Nielsen assets to provide marketplace assessments of today’s digital media consumers,” said Christie Kawada, the VP of The Nielsen Company’s Custom Television group. “Specifically, what they watch on TV, online and on mobile phones, using both attitudinal and behavioral data.”

The study profiles “Extreme Techies” and shows they exhibit the following attitudes and behaviors:

63 percent are male, with a mean age of 31 and an average annual income of $67,000.

47 percent are married and 57 percent have children in the home under the age of 18.

74 percent report accessing video content over their computers using the Internet.

64 percent, compared to 30 percent for the total sample, say that watching TV shows online adds to their regular TV viewing.

60 percent, compared to 33 percent for the total sample, report they typically know what they want to watch online before they sit down at their computer.

55 percent, compared to 23 percent of the total sample, report they have found shows online and watched them on TV.

“Extreme Techies” have the highest ownership of cross-platform devices used to view TV or movie content, with an average of slightly over four devices, compared to an average of two for the total sample.

They also exhibit the highest viewership on devices such as console gaming systems (46 percent), cell phones (33 percent), and set top media boxes (17 percent).

26 percent of “Extreme Techies” report planning to add to their television service—for example,
additional channels or services—in the next six months. They see themselves as ambitious, adventurous, tech-savvy and spontaneous.

“Looking closely at the behavior of the Extreme Techies sheds new light on how much content is being consumed online and by whom,” said Char Beales, CTAM president and CEO. “We now have critical insights that go far deeper than any existing research to explore how these elusive segments may shape the future of content viewing and multi-platform adoption.”