Traditional TV viewing set for ‘dramatic shift’

Joseph O'Halloran ©RapidTVNews | 08-12-2011

Rumours of the death of traditional TV may be somewhat exaggerated but, says Motorola Mobility, demand for anytime, anywhere entertainment and social media connectivity is driving the most dramatic industry convergence in the past 20 years.
Indeed, the 2011 Motorola Mobility Media Engagement Barometer– an independent global study of video consumption habits among 9,000 consumers in 16 markets – predicts no less than a redefinition of the home ecosystem driven by online engagement and social TV, mobile TV, personal cloud services, and home automation.Viewers seem to have an insatiable desire for content and connection and are engaging with digital entertainment and social media that enhance the traditional TV experience. In fact the survey suggests that consumers' desire for constant connection is influencing TV and video consumption, which accounts for an average of 15 hours per week worldwide. Germans now watch an average of 18 hours a week of TV and video compared with 14 hours in 2010; in the US viewers watched 21 hours of TV per week, an additional two hours than in 2010.
Despite a lot of hype over the years, it also looks like the mobile platform has now established itself. The survey found that nearly two-fifths (37%) of global respondents claimed to watch TV services outside the home on a smartphone, tablet, PC or laptop.
In the US, there was a near five-fold year on year increase of TV viewing taking place on smartphones with 23% currently watching mobile TV on this platform. more than a quarter (27%) of the global consumers aged between 25-34 years watch mobile TV on a mobile device once or twice a week, as do just over a third (34%) of consumers in the 45-54 age group and (33%) of respondents in the 55+ age group.
"Consumers are constantly connected – and they want ubiquitous access to their content and communities," commented John Burke, senior vice president and general manager, Converged Experiences, Motorola Mobility. "They don't care about the technology to make all of this happen; they simply want it to work and expect it to fit into their daily routines. The convergence trend upon us is a tremendous opportunity for our customers to capitalise on delivering this simple, intuitive experience in the home."
Moreover the 2011 study found that such behaviour with new forms of entertainment and connected devices and services were creating additional revenue streams and opportunities to strengthen customer relationship. Motorola suggested that service providers may seek to leverage the new trends by offering improved real-time experiences at the original airing of the show.
Deeper engagement with the programming via an integrated social TV element may also provide viewers an incentivised reason to watch the initial program airing and engage with other fans immediately. The survey found that more than three-fifths (61%) of global respondents saying that they have already discussed a TV program with friends via a social network. The trend is expected to continue – an additional 49% said they would be interested in this type of service.

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Joseph O'Halloran ©RapidTVNews | 08-12-2011

Rumours of the death of traditional TV may be somewhat exaggerated but, says Motorola Mobility, demand for anytime, anywhere entertainment and social media connectivity is driving the most dramatic industry convergence in the past 20 years.
Indeed, the 2011 Motorola Mobility Media Engagement Barometer– an independent global study of video consumption habits among 9,000 consumers in 16 markets – predicts no less than a redefinition of the home ecosystem driven by online engagement and social TV, mobile TV, personal cloud services, and home automation. Viewers seem to have an insatiable desire for content and connection and are engaging with digital entertainment and social media that enhance the traditional TV experience. In fact the survey suggests that consumers' desire for constant connection is influencing TV and video consumption, which accounts for an average of 15 hours per week worldwide. Germans now watch an average of 18 hours a week of TV and video compared with 14 hours in 2010; in the US viewers watched 21 hours of TV per week, an additional two hours than in 2010.
Despite a lot of hype over the years, it also looks like the mobile platform has now established itself. The survey found that nearly two-fifths (37%) of global respondents claimed to watch TV services outside the home on a smartphone, tablet, PC or laptop.
In the US, there was a near five-fold year on year increase of TV viewing taking place on smartphones with 23% currently watching mobile TV on this platform. more than a quarter (27%) of the global consumers aged between 25-34 years watch mobile TV on a mobile device once or twice a week, as do just over a third (34%) of consumers in the 45-54 age group and (33%) of respondents in the 55+ age group.
"Consumers are constantly connected – and they want ubiquitous access to their content and communities," commented John Burke, senior vice president and general manager, Converged Experiences, Motorola Mobility. "They don't care about the technology to make all of this happen; they simply want it to work and expect it to fit into their daily routines. The convergence trend upon us is a tremendous opportunity for our customers to capitalise on delivering this simple, intuitive experience in the home."
Moreover the 2011 study found that such behaviour with new forms of entertainment and connected devices and services were creating additional revenue streams and opportunities to strengthen customer relationship. Motorola suggested that service providers may seek to leverage the new trends by offering improved real-time experiences at the original airing of the show.
Deeper engagement with the programming via an integrated social TV element may also provide viewers an incentivised reason to watch the initial program airing and engage with other fans immediately. The survey found that more than three-fifths (61%) of global respondents saying that they have already discussed a TV program with friends via a social network. The trend is expected to continue – an additional 49% said they would be interested in this type of service.