Current Trends in Video – Where People are Watching
July 23, 2020
by Laura DiCapio
The next five blog posts will share research and insights into the current state of the media. People are no longer confined to their homes due to the quarantine, but are not quite back to their usual media routines pre-quarantine. So, how is this in-limbo period of time affecting media consumption? Luckily there are many studies and survey results shared within the industry to help marketers understand the current habits of their consumers. Below is a snapshot of Video – a few quick facts sharing where people are accessing content, and our takeaways from this data.
Quick Facts
- TV use is up with all mediums, with SVOD (subscription video on demand) showing the largest growth. This is due, in part, to platforms such as Disney+ releasing original content during the height of the pandemic. Disney+ experienced a 74% spike in App downloads the weekend it released Hamilton.
- The use of connected TVs continued to grow the first half of 2020, with 80% of households reporting to have at least one connected TV. Viewership is also significantly up from last year (see graph below).
- OTT platforms continue to grow; the global OTT streaming market is expected to grow 55% from 2019 to 2020.
- Broadcast TV also saw viewership growth towards the end of Q1 2020, reporting an overall 12.6% increase. The biggest increase was in Daytime, with an increase of 28.4%.
Key Takeaways
- Although most paid SVOD platforms do not accept advertisements, Wahl Media will continue to monitor their policies in case paid opportunities become available.
- Video dollars should increase on OTT platforms to correlate to the increase in smart TV ownership and usage. These viewers will be less likely to watch broadcast and cable programming.
- As people stay home due to COVID quarantine regulations, daytime viewing will continue to hold steady or increase. Broadcast and cable schedules should include these dayparts. Streaming impressions should not be limited to specific dayparts, since impressions will reach consumers while they are actively watching.