Viacom today released the results of ‘TV Here, There, (Not Quite) Everywhere,’ a study the company conducted to explore how consumers are using TV Everywhere apps and websites.
In the study, TV Everywhere users are defined as those watching full TV episodes on sites and apps by authenticating with their pay TV log-in information. Online surveys were conducted with more than 1,300 Viacom viewers ages 13-49 and more than 600 kids ages 2-12. Participants included both users of TV Everywhere and non-users.
The most important takeaway from the study is that TV Everywhere use actually results in increased TV viewing overall: 64% of those using TV Everywhere functionalities said that they watch more TV. As discussed at our TV Everywhere panel during December’s Lost Remote Show in L.A., networks and advertisers grasp that TV Everywhere apps and websites do not replace first-screen viewing, but rather supplement it.
Here are some key insights from Viacom’s study:
- TV Everywhere (TVE) use actually increases TV viewing overall – 64% of TVE users report watching more TV.
- 98% of TVE users say TVE adds value to their pay TV subscription.
- 93% say they are more likely to stay with their provider due to TV Everywhere.
- Content is one of the biggest drivers of TVE usage, followed by flexibility and the interest/desire to try the latest technologies.
- Most viewers use TVE to re-watch or catch up on episodes.
- Nearly 33% of users use TVE because they weren’t able to watch the show live.
- 22% percent use TVE because all TVs were in use, and the same percentage cite being able to move around the house.
- Particularly in multi-person households or for those with kids in the home, the ability to customize (52%) and have accounts for multiple users (48%) is important.
- While 19% of users say they have no problems with their TVE experiences, the top issues tend to be tech-related, including loading/buffering (24%) and crashing/freezing (23%). Content-related issues are far less common.