More and more Americans are turning to TV set alternatives to watch video, according to a new report from Leichtman Research Group (LRG). Twenty-seven percent of U.S. adults watch video daily on devices other than TV sets and 53% do so on a weekly basis.
The latest results are up from 14% daily and 37% weekly two years ago. Alternative TV devices include home computers, mobile phones, iPads and other tablets, and eReaders, which weren’t included in LRG’s research of two years ago.
The use of TV set alternatives varies widely among different age groups, LRG found: 42% of those 18-44 watching any type of video on alternatives on a daily basis and 77% weekly. That compares to 14% daily and 33% weekly among those 45 and over.
“Video watched on non-TV devices and via connected TV sets has significantly increased over the past few years, particularly among younger individuals,” Bruce Leichtman, LRG’s president and principal analyst, was quoted in a press release. “Consumers are generally using these new viewing options to complement traditional TV viewing at home.”
Furthermore, though mobile devices and mobile broadband services enable viewers to watch video outside the home and while on the move, much of the viewing on non-TV devices is taking place in the home. Sixty-three percent of respondents said they usually watch video on their mobile phones at home, while 89% said they usually watch video on alternative devices in general at home.
LRG also found the following:
- 44% of all households have at least one television set connected to the Internet via a video game system, a Blu-ray player, an Apple TV or Roku set-top box, and/or the TV set itself — up from 38% last year, 30% in 2011, and 24% in 2010
- While 18% of all households have a TV connected to the Internet only via a video game system, just 3% of households are connected solely via a Smart TV set
- Including connected TV sets, 33% watch any over-the-top content daily, and 59% weekly — compared to 17% daily, and 41% weekly two years ago
- Including connected TV sets, 29% watch TV shows over-the-top weekly — Netflix streaming video households account for 58% of weekly TV show viewers
- 22% of all adults stream Netflix video weekly — compared to 4% in 2010
- 80% of Netflix streaming users use it to watch TV shows and movies on a TV set, and 53% of this group access Netflix via a video game system
- On a weekly basis, 62% of adults use other devices while watching TV, but just 7% overall use these devices as “second screens” to interact with the programs being watched
Image courtesy of flickr user bendodson.
