New York – Despite spotty availability, TV Everywhere not only increases the amount of time customers watch TV, but the availability of the service fosters greater customer loyalty to the provider, according to a study by programming giant Viacom and unveiled at the Multichannel News On Demand Summit Thursday.
According to the study, entitled "TV Here, There, (Not Quite) Everywhere," 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.
But the research showed 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 technology-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.
For the purposes of the study, the TV Everywhere experience was defined as watching full-length TV programs on sites and apps by authenticating, or using pay TV log-in information. The methodology involved digital online journals, focus groups and ethnographies in New York and Chicago. Online surveys were conducted with more than 1,300 Viacom viewers ages 13-49 and more than 600 kids ages 2-12. Participants included both users of TV Everywhere and non-users.
“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 VP and chief research officer, Viacom Media Networks. “This research provides valuable insights into developing the best TVE experiences for our audiences who want to engage with their favorite content beyond the television screen.”
