Families are connecting while watching connected TV, according to a new study commissioned by streaming TV company Future Today.
In the study, 94% of parents said they have been co-viewing family-friendly streaming content during the last 12 months, a period during which COVID-19 had many people staying home.
Looking ahead, 86% of parents said they plan to watch more content together with their families.
“There is a misperception that the explosion in screens has created siloed TV viewing, with families watching from different devices and rooms,” said Vikrant Mathur, co-founder, Future Today. “In reality, parents with younger children, in particular, are co-viewing more than ever. Co-viewing experiences help these families connect, while also allowing parents to more closely monitor media consumption for their children.”
Future Today’s streaming channels including Fawsome, HappyKids and iFood.tv.
Co-viewing is important to advertisers who want large audiences, but have also found that co-viewing audiences are more engaged when commercials appear.
Future Today’s study found that co-viewing boosts ad engagement, with 93% of parents saying they are “engaged” when presented with an ad for adults while co-viewing. While 88% of parents reported their children as being “engaged” while co-viewing adult-focused ads.
The parents said that while co-viewing with their kids, they were most comfortable with ads for restaurants, travel, retail, electronics and food products.
The study was conducted for Future Today by The Insights Family, which polled more than 300 parents. ■
