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Only 39 Percent of Viewers Choose Live TV As Their Default Option, Says Study (deadline.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the channel-surfing dept.

According to a new study by Hub Entertainment Research, viewers are increasingly defaulting to on-demand sources like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu instead of live TV. The study found that only 39% of viewers tune into live programming from a traditional pay-TV provider, down from 47% last year. On-demand sources, collectively, were the first choice for 48% of viewers. Deadline reports: For viewers aged 18-34, the pattern is more stark -- only about a quarter (26%) of the demo lists live TV as a default, compared with 35% a year ago. One clear influence on consumer behavior is the increase in TV sources -- the average person has 4.5 distinct sources to choose from (including linear TV, DVR, VOD, Netflix, etc.). That number is up from 3.7 in 2014. Among viewers 18-34, the number is higher, at 5.1 sources -- plus, Hub found that fully 50% of 18-34-year-olds subscribe to at least two of the "big three" SVOD services, Netflix, Amazon or Hulu. Even older generations accustomed to the "clicker" have turned away from live TV as a default. About 56% of viewers 55 and older listed live as their first choice, but that's down from 66% a year ago.

4 of 96 comments (clear)

  1. Commercials by Fly+Swatter · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Excessive advertising, they did magazines in, now so too TV. The world-wide-web is next.

    1. Re:Commercials by nehumanuscrede · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Same. The Reader View trick seems to work against many of them though.

      View a page, adblocker notice pops up being annoying as shit. Reload page, press F9 ( Firefox ) and the page is loaded into Reader View.
      Content becomes readable, no ads. No blocking notice. YMMV, doesn't work on all sites.

      Those that it doesn't work on, I simply skip.

      Those sites that are known for blocking I skip completely by default.

    2. Re:Commercials by nehumanuscrede · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No lie there.

      Once advertisements in magazines exceeded the number of articles or information I wanted to read, I ceased all of my subscriptions. ( years ago mind you )

      I've actually blocked entire TV networks ( I'm looking at you FX ) because of their advertising methods. Early in the show, the ratio of show to commercials favors the show. However, the longer the show runs, the less you get to see in one segment before the next set of commercials ( which, maddeningly, are the same GD commercials over and Over and OVER again ) breaks in. By the end of the show, you're lucky to get 5-7 minutes of show without a commercial break.

      Fuck that. Program it out.

      You're right though. We're seeing the same shit happen with the net and excessive advertising will be its demise.

  2. I've been using Tivo since 2000 by SensitiveMale · · Score: 5, Informative

    FF, rewinding, and saving programs are necessary. Watching a 60 minute show in 40 minutes makes a huge difference. Skipping over a boring segment and saving another 10 to 20 minutes saves even more time.

    Oh, and pausing at boobs on TV. That's killer.