Parks Associates: TV Still Dominates Viewing Time

More than half of all video consumption in U.S. broadband homes takes place on a TV set, according to Parks Associates research, which also noted that the average time spent watching video rose by 33 percent between 2018 and 2019.

360 View: Digital Media and Connected Consumers indicates that U.S. consumers spend about 20 hours a week watching content on a TV set versus four hours on a mobile phone. In the 18-to-24 set, meanwhile, consumers watch as much video on a computer as they do on a TV set, at about 16 hours a week.

The report also found that more than 25 percent of broadband homes list local broadcast channels as their most enjoyed type of channel.

Adoption of OTT SVOD services has plateaued, Parks Associates said, with penetration now at 71 percent. About half of homes have a Netflix subscription, with Amazon Prime in about 38 percent of homes.

“Understanding consumers is key to driving acquisition and minimizing churn among video services,” said Steve Nason, senior analyst at Parks Associates. “Different demographics show markedly different attitudes and preferences. NPS scores for Netflix are higher among women, while NPS scores for premium OTT services such as Starz, Showtime and HBO Now are higher among men. Younger video consumers represent the future of the industry, but their programming and platform preferences are distinct from older segments, which puts traditional pay-TV providers in a difficult position. Changing the traditional pay-TV service model could alienate older, high-ARPU customers, but not changing could doom future prospects.”