Deloitte: Accessibility is Driving Media Demand

NEW YORK: The sixth edition of Deloitte’s State of the Media Democracy survey reveals that the introduction of new platforms has led to increases in American media consumption.

In 2009 just 28 percent of Americans reported streaming a movie, today that number has increased to 42 percent. The number of people citing streaming delivery of a movie to their computer or TV as their preferred way of watching rose from 4 percent in 2009 to 14 percent today. In 2007, 37 percent of people said they had not viewed a movie during the past six months. In 2011, the percentage of non-consumers fell to just 19 percent.

The survey also shows Americans value cable and satellite TV above most other services. Using a DVR is the second-most preferred means of watching a favorite show. However, only 44 percent of those surveyed have DVR functionality. Deloitte found that 9 percent of people have already "cut the cord" and 11 percent are considering doing so because they feel they can watch almost all of their favorite shows online. An additional 15 percent said they will most likely watch movies, TV shows and videos from online sources in the near future.

"Our data shows that while Americans may be less interested in physical content, their appetite for digital content continues to grow. That appetite, coupled with the introduction of new technologies, is leading consumers to access the content they want on a number of different devices," said Phil Asmundson, vice chairman and U.S. media & telecommunications sector leader at Deloitte. "Consumers may be watching fewer television shows and movies on TV, or reading fewer physical copies of books and newspapers, but they have not stopped consuming the content. They are simply watching or reading on different media or platforms."

"Consumers have shown that they value DVR functionality, yet the majority of Americans don’t have a DVR in the home. This represents a potential opportunity for cable and satellite TV providers," said Asmundson. "In a world where consumers have other ways to access content, the DVR may be an underutilized service that could serve as a value-add for new and existing subscribers at minimal cost to cable and satellite TV companies."