TGI: Multi-platform TV viewing

In the first of a new series of TGI reports for Newsline, media analyst James McCombe looks at TV viewing via different platforms…

Following the BBC iPlayer’s strong performance in 2008, TGI reveals that one-third of British adults now use TV On Demand services.

Two-thirds of TVOD users access it through a PC, 62% through a TV, and 27% through both. The most popular service accessed through a PC is the BBC iPlayer, used by around 15% of adults, followed by 4OD and ITV.com. The most popular services accessed through a TV are Virgin on Demand, used by almost 10% of adults, and Sky Anytime (7%).

Sixty percent of those who use BBC iPlayer, ITV.com or 4OD are men. They are also much more likely than the average adult to be under 25 and to be in the in the AB social grades. As such they represent a valuable group to many advertisers.

This value is enhanced by the fact that they are twice as likely as the average to be influenced by comments or reviews posted online, but they are also trendsetters and advocates in their own right. In terms of word-of-mouth, they tend to be highly confident of their ability to persuade others with regard to TV, audio and video equipment. Their persuasion skills also extend to a range of other sectors including financial services, mobile phones, and cars.

The growth in home broadband has led to a rapid increase in the number of people watching TV online. Four million adults now watch TV online, with almost two million watching on a regular basis. TGI data reveals a steady rise in online TV viewing over the past eighteen months. In the final quarter of 2007, 6% of adults reported using the internet to watch TV. By the third quarter of 2008 this figure had risen to 10%.

As for TVOD services, those most likely to watch TV on the internet are young men. They are a receptive audience, being nearly 80% more likely than the average to buy from companies that sponsor TV programmes. They are also far more likely to buy new products before most of their friends. Entertainment and travel TV channels tend to appeal to this group.

Increased ownership of internet-enabled mobile phones means that live TV subscription services accessed through handsets are likely to grow rapidly in the future. Today 40% of adults have a mobile phone with WAP capability, up from just 20% five years ago.

The freedom of choice afforded by new viewing platforms means that an individual’s total viewing time is likely to fall. TGI data show that since 2005, the proportion of adults watching TV for at least thirty hours a week has fallen from 28% to 26%. The proportion watching for at least twenty hours a week has fallen from 53% to 50%. Over the same period, however, the number of adults who consider themselves a TV addict has increased from 12% to 15%, perhaps reflecting increased levels of engagement.