Hours Spent Watching Video Rose 33% In 2019 – Parks Associates

Parks’ new study also found that more than one quarter of U.S. broadband households rank local broadcast channels as their most enjoyed type of channel. (Getty/FS-Stock)
by Ben Munson
Source: www.fiercevideo.com, January 2020

Consumers spent more time watching video in 2019 than in 2018, according to Parks Associates, which reported a 33% increase in hours spent per week in video viewing.

The TV screen remains the primary point of focus. Parks said TV sets still account for more than half of all video consumed by U.S. broadband households each week. The firm’s new 360 View: Digital Media and Connected Consumers report also suggested that consumers spend on average nearly 20 hours per week watching video on a TV, compared to nearly four hours on a mobile phone.

“Understanding consumers is key to driving acquisition and minimizing churn among video services,” said Steve Nason, senior analyst at Parks Associates, in statement. “Different demographics show markedly different attitudes and preferences. NPS scores for Netflix are higher among women, while NPS scores for premium OTT services such as Starz, Showtime, and HBO Now are higher among men. Younger video consumers represent the future of the industry, but their programming and platform preferences are distinct from older segments, which puts traditional pay-TV providers in a difficult position. Changing the traditional pay-TV service model could alienate older, high-ARPU customers, but not changing could doom future prospects.”

RELATED: Parks Associates releases its top 10 U.S. streaming services list

Parks’ new study also found that more than one quarter of U.S. broadband households rank local broadcast channels as their most enjoyed type of channel.

The firm said adoption of over-the-top (OTT) video subscription services has plateaued at 71% of broadband households, consumers ages 18-24 watch as much video on a computer as they do on a TV set (about 16 hours per week) and half of U.S. broadband households subscribe to Netflix. Amazon Prime Video is second with a 38% adoption rate.