On-Demand TV Viewership Spiking, Now Accounts for 60% of Viewing in Some Households

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Television consumption is evolving from live to on-demand. The trend is especially strong among the 18- to 34-year old age group, according to Parks Associates.The research firm’s study, “Shifting Video Consumption: Linear vs. On-Demand,” says that almost 60% of television viewed in broadband households in the United States is on-demand and non-linear. A bit more than one-quarter of television viewed by 18- to 34-year olds is of live sources, which include pay TV, over-the-air channels and livestreaming.

“Live TV is far from dead, but on-demand sources are claiming an increasingly large portion of viewing,” Bruce Sappington, the Senior Analyst for Parks Associates, said in a press release . “In addition, a larger portion of live content viewing is moving online. Among TV viewers who watch live broadcasts on a TV, 17% of their live TV viewing is through an online video service with live content such as CBS All-Access, Univision Now, or PlutoTV. Among heads of households under the age of 35 who watch live TV, the percentage of online sources jumps to 30%.”

People are likely to maintain the habits developed early for their entire lives. Thus, it is important for service providers, programmers and advertisers to adjust their strategies. The trend extends to “cord nevers,” which are people who have never subscribed to pay TV. These people spend only about one-third of their viewing time with live content, primarily from over-the-air channels. They spend almost half as much time using a television as average broadband households.

The Parks Associates’ report is the latest evidence that television viewing is changing in deep and profound ways. It is related to the growth of streaming and use of non-television devices to access content.