NEW YORK: Three quarters of US owners of connected TVs say streaming video offers a viewing experience at least as good as traditional television, while a significant proportion also cite the relative lack of advertising as another plus.
For its new report, The Changing TV Experience: Attitudes and Usage Across Multiple Screens, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) carried out an online survey among 651 adults and subsequently conducted discussions with 13 participants in an online forum.
The results showed, said Sherrill Mane, svp/Research, Analytics, and Measurement at IAB, how "connected TVs and multiscreening are irrevocably altering TV viewing".
One in three adults now owns either a smart TV or a device that streams video to their TVs. And two in five (38%) of those individuals spend at least half their TV viewing time streaming video to their television.
Half of connected TV owners reported that viewing experience was as good as traditional TV while one quarter said it was better.
Greater control of their viewing (cited by 33%) and better selection of content available (29%) were among the factors leading them to this view, but advertisers will also note that half of connected TV owners were streaming content because there are fewer commercials, while 40% considered commercials on these platforms to be less intrusive than standard TV ads.
And the streaming trend is growing fast: over a third (35%) of connected TV owners are now streaming more video to their TV than a year ago. One in four smartphone and tablet owners, and one in five computer owners, said the same.
Meanwhile, one in five adults (19%) stated they were watching less traditional TV year-over-year.
Alongside this, the study's results confirmed an upswing in multiscreening, with 40% of smartphone users saying they have increased such activity over the past year. The rise year-over-year was similar for tablet users (39%), with a solid increase among computer users (28%) as well.
Overall, fully 78% of US adults are now simultaneously using another device while watching traditional TV, with browsing the internet being the most popular activity across devices and smartphones serving as the predominant second screen.
And a significant portion of the actions they are taking relate to the TV shows or commercials they are watching, whether discussing with friends or looking for product reviews.
For its new report, The Changing TV Experience: Attitudes and Usage Across Multiple Screens, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) carried out an online survey among 651 adults and subsequently conducted discussions with 13 participants in an online forum.
The results showed, said Sherrill Mane, svp/Research, Analytics, and Measurement at IAB, how "connected TVs and multiscreening are irrevocably altering TV viewing".
One in three adults now owns either a smart TV or a device that streams video to their TVs. And two in five (38%) of those individuals spend at least half their TV viewing time streaming video to their television.
Half of connected TV owners reported that viewing experience was as good as traditional TV while one quarter said it was better.
Greater control of their viewing (cited by 33%) and better selection of content available (29%) were among the factors leading them to this view, but advertisers will also note that half of connected TV owners were streaming content because there are fewer commercials, while 40% considered commercials on these platforms to be less intrusive than standard TV ads.
And the streaming trend is growing fast: over a third (35%) of connected TV owners are now streaming more video to their TV than a year ago. One in four smartphone and tablet owners, and one in five computer owners, said the same.
Meanwhile, one in five adults (19%) stated they were watching less traditional TV year-over-year.
Alongside this, the study's results confirmed an upswing in multiscreening, with 40% of smartphone users saying they have increased such activity over the past year. The rise year-over-year was similar for tablet users (39%), with a solid increase among computer users (28%) as well.
Overall, fully 78% of US adults are now simultaneously using another device while watching traditional TV, with browsing the internet being the most popular activity across devices and smartphones serving as the predominant second screen.
And a significant portion of the actions they are taking relate to the TV shows or commercials they are watching, whether discussing with friends or looking for product reviews.
Data sourced from IAB; additional content by Warc staff
