Summer TV viewing gains popularity
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Michelle Clancy
| 16 July 2019

Summer linear TV in the US is popular: about 95% of people aged 18+ watch ad-supported TV during the season according to the VAB’s Summer Forecast: Heating Up with Premium Multiscreen Video report.

The study showed how people stay connected to ad-supported video across devices and in cinemas throughout the summer months.

The survey found that 66% of believe TV is a good escape and it shows: TV represents almost 80% of total video consumption during the summer among adults.

Average monthly summer reach for younger demographics (86% of those aged 13 to 17 and 79% of those 18 to 24) is steady versus other time periods throughout the year, according to the VAB.

Also, people typically watch more TV on holidays: For instance, teens watch 33 more minutes of TV on Memorial Day than average.

The study found that ad-supported TV grew its summertime unique mobile reach by 5% for those over 18 and 11% for those over 50, year-over-year. Total time spent on mobile with ad-supported TV brands increased 17% for adults over 18, 11% for those people between 18 and 49, and 26% for those over 50, year-over-year.

On the social front, in any given minute, the ad-supported multiscreen TV millennial (18-34) audience is six times larger than Facebook and 60% larger than YouTube, according to the study. And, ad-supported TV accounted for 68% of the top ten trending Twitter topics during key summer holiday time periods.

Meanwhile, about three-quarters (76%) of respondents go to the cinema throughout the year, with a skew towards major summertime theatrical releases. Summer cinema admissions were up 17% overall, year-over-year: Up 39% for teens, 9% for those aged 18 to 49, and 83% for those over 55.

Cinema turns out to be a much more millennial-targeted platform than online: About half (46% of summer movie-goers vs. 33% of internet users are millennials.