It's no longer about video consumers “cutting the cord,” with younger folks determining new, more user-friendly ways of watching television.
Heck, “Netflix and chill” isn't even a thing with these kids anymore
The whole idea of what is video entertainment is being reimagined by the youngest generations, with new research suggesting “Gen Alpha” (roughly defined as those born between 2013 and 2024) devotes 78% of its screen time to watching video distributed on social media.
Social video time share is 56% for Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012), up from 46% just two years ago.
The data comes from Maverix Insights & Strategy (by way of Hub Entertainment Research). Maverix is the new research company co-founded by former Warner Bros. Discovery research gurus Liz Huszarik and Alexia Raven.
Maverix’s “Media Identity Graph” calls on brand marketers to rethink their strategies for reaching younger consumers.
These whippersnappers, the group contends, don't live in the living room anymore. Social via their smartphone is their lifestyle.
We found this data point particularly interesting: Across subsections of younger consumers, usage of subscription streaming services including Netflix, Hulu and Apple TV Plus is still pretty frequent and regular.
But consumption of video via YouTube, as well as social media platforms including Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, is even heavier. More than 80% of parent survey respondents report that their 18-to-26-year-old adult children use YouTube or these social platforms, vs. slightly less than 80% for the major SVODs.
Admittedly, this isn't a new concept. Every month, for instance, Nielsen releases its U.S. TV consumption market share tracker, The Gauge, which always reveals that usage of YouTube far surpasses that of any other streaming platform, based on living-room consumption alone.
Look, all we're saying is, before you commit billions of dollars to buying a major Hollywood studio, give it a good think.
