Video is becoming a social experience for more young viewers, according to new research from MRI.
In MRI’s latest Cord Evaluation research, 60% of those in the 18-to-34 age group say they are co-viewing more often now than they did three years ago.
MRI did not say what device those 18-to-34 were using when co-viewing, but 72% said they were using a streaming service when they co-viewed.
Among all adults, 48% of their viewing time is spent co-viewing and 49% of all adults said they are co-viewing more now than they did three years ago.
“The social nature of TV viewing continues to drive people to this enjoyable shared experience,” said Amy Hunt, VP of TVideo Media Sales at MRI. “A lot has been said recently about the introduction of dynamically inserted ads for shows; but this seems to be predicated on the idea of only one target watching. The increase of co-viewing suggests that more ad options will need to be available, to appeal to the widest possible audience range.”
MRI found that 58% of co-viewing time was spent watching with a “significant other, While 19% account for 19% of co-viewing time.
The content that’s most popular for co-viewing was movies. When asked what they tend to watch with a significant other, the No. 1 response was movies. Movies was also No. 1 when viewers were asked what they watch with friends and with adult family members. Movies came in No. 2 when adults were asked what they watched with children. The No. 1 response for what was watched when co viewing with children was kids TV.
While watching with significant others, after movies, the most popular genres were comedy TV, drama TV, news and sports.
MRI found that more than half of the solo viewers--55%-- were men. On the other end of spectrum parents are more likely to be co-viewers, with 77% of parent co-viewers having children younger than 11 and 23% with children 12 to 17.
MRI’s Cord Evolution research is based in 24,000 in home interviews in MRI’s Survey of the American Consumer.
