TV Everywhere shows rise in overall TV viewing, reveals Viacom

TV Everywhere users watch more TV overall, according to Viacom's TV Here, There, (Not Quite) Everywhere' study.

Viacom's new study, exploring consumers' experiences around TV Everywhere (TVE) apps and sites, reveals an increase in overall TV viewing among TV Everywhere users, as well as greater customer loyalty towards pay TV providers that offer TV Everywhere services.

For the purposes of this study, the TV Everywhere experience is defined as watching full-length TV programmes on sites and apps by authenticating, or using pay TV log-in information.

While still nascent in terms of awareness and usage, TV Everywhere presents a huge opportunity for brands to grow and strengthen their relationships with fans, said Colleen Fahey Rush, executive vice president and chief research officer, Viacom Media Networks.

The report found that TV Everywhere is additive to the TV viewing experience. Since they began using TV Everywhere apps and sites, 64% report watching more TV overall. This finding is even stronger among Millennials, with 72% watching more TV.

For those using TV Everywhere, the television is still the go-to source for TV shows and watching live. After live TV, TVE apps and sites are a strong alternative, rivaling VoD, DVR and other sites that don't require authentication with a pay TV provider, such as subscription streaming services or other free sites.

TV Everywhere also increases the value of pay TV subscriptions while strengthening loyalty to pay TV providers and relationships with networks.

A full 98% of users say TVE adds value to their pay TV subscription, with 67% saying it adds a lot of value.

The vast majority (93%) is more likely to stay with their provider due to TV Everywhere and 68% have a more favorable impression of networks that offer TVE experiences.

Users cite strong content libraries, flexibility and the attitudinal element of staying savvy as their main drivers for using TV Everywhere services.

Whether to re-watch or catch up on episodes, content is one of the biggest drivers of TV Everywhere usage.

Viewers use TVE for replay, with 31% reporting that they re-watch episodes and 22% starting a show from the first season.

Over two-thirds report using TVE more often than other third-party or free sites because it has more shows overall (42%), offers the shows/series they want to watch (38%), and features exclusives (23%).

Another major driver of TVE use is the flexibility of TVE, which allows viewers to watch shows when, where and how they want.

Nearly one-third of users use TVE because they weren't able to watch the show live. Twenty-eight percent use TVE because they are away from home. Twenty-two percent use TVE because all TVs were in use, and the same percentage cite being able to move around the house.

TVE users also consider themselves early adopters, with one-fifth reporting that they started using these services because they like to be the first to try new things.

They are also much more likely to own and access TV shows on a range of different devices, including tablets, set-top-boxes and smart TVs.

The research reveals that TV Everywhere as both a concept and a term still suffers from a lack of awareness and understanding. There's also no go-to source of discovery yet: 17% of users heard about TVE from an ad on TV; 16% were made aware by a spouse or partner; and 54% of kids learned about it from their parents.

While 19% of users say they have no problems with their TVE experiences, the top issues tend to be tech-related, including loading/buffering (24%) and crashing/freezing (23%). Content-related issues are far less common.

For non-users, the biggest barriers to adoption are a lack of perceived need, concerns about hidden costs, lack of awareness and screen size.

www.viacom.com

This story also appears on IBC's Content Everywhere.

LINK:	http://www.tvbeurope.com/tv-everywhere-promotes-rise-overall-tv-viewin...
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