Entertainment consumption grows increasingly sophisticated Accenture reports, with consumers increasingly checking internet-based content on smaller devices while watching the bigger TV screens.
According to the 2013 multi-nation "Video over Internet Consumer Survey," such multitasking takes various forms, and includes books and newspapers-- but overall 90% of respondents watch "some" online video content (such as movies, TV programs and video on demand) while watching TV.
The survey covers consumers in France, Italy, Spain, the UK, the US and Brazil.
“Consumers can’t just watch TV anymore,” the analyst remarks. “The rise in multitasking while watching TV suggests that scheduled programming, also known as Linear TV, may be losing its appeal for sophisticated users, presenting both challenges and opportunities for broadcasters and content providers.”
Multitasking is up across all devices-- 77% of 2013 respondents regularly use computers/laptops while watching TV, up from 61% in 2012. Meanwhile tablet use grows from 11% in 2012 to 44% (as does video consumption on tablets) despite lower ownership rates.
Different devices find different uses. PCs and laptops are used for full-length movies and TV series by 47% of surver respondents, while 33% watch such content on tablets. More consumers (49%) view short videos on smartphones.
However one form of of viewing online video remains confusing according to Accenture-- connected TV, whose consumer preference drops from 36% in 2012 to 31% in 2013. The percentage of consumers either not sure or lacking a preferred method of accessing online video on TV is up from 23% to 28%, and only 16% prefer connecting to the internet via STB.
“We would have expected consumers to have a better understanding of their options by now considering the sizeable marketing push by the television electronics industry to promote connected TVs,” Accenture says. “A big gap still remains between the availability of video services, content discovery programs and consumers’ ability to access these capabilities.”
