The rise of streaming is being driven largely by the increase of streaming to the TV set, according to the findings from Horowitz Research’s State of Pay TV, OTT and SVOD study.

According to the study, in 2013 TV viewers reported streaming just 5 per cent of their TV viewing to a TV set and 8 per cent to a computer, mobile phone, tablet, or other handheld device. Today, TV viewers report spending about a quarter (23 per cent) of their TV viewing time streaming to a TV set, while computer and mobile viewing has risen to a more modest—though not negligible—14 per cent share of viewing.

The Horowitz study reveals that despite MVPDs’ investments in VoD platforms, streaming far surpasses VoD as the go-to source for on demand content, with streaming claiming 37 per cent of weekly viewing and VoD claiming just 5 per cent. As streaming continues to grow, live TV and DVR viewing are becoming a smaller piece of the viewing pie, with live TV’s viewing share falling from 58 per cent in 2013 to 44 per cent in 2017, and DVR’s share declining from 15 per cent to 9 per cent.

Increased availability of content is contributing to audiences’ growing love of TV: on average, TV content viewers report watching 5.2 hours of TV content daily, up from 4.5 hours daily in 2013.

“Though streaming and the emerging digital multichannel market is largely perceived as a threat to the traditional TV industry, the reality is that it has helped reinvigorate audiences’ love of TV, no small thanks to the flexibility streaming allows,” says Stephanie Wong, Horowitz’s director of marketing and strategy. “Rediscovering old favourites, binging on the high quality original content developed by streaming services, and catching up on hot shows they may have missed when they premiered has created a richer, more complete TV experience. And while mobile is undoubtedly important when it comes to long-form TV content, the TV set remains the cornerstone of the TV experience.”