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For Immediate
Release
TV Web Sites Grow More Popular, but
Viewers Still Prefer Their
TV Sets, According to Nielsen and CTAM
(Alexandria, VA and New York NY, June
30, 2008) – Despite the growing popularity of viewing television content
online, most adults (94%) who subscribe to cable or satellite television
services prefer to watch television on traditional TV sets, according to
new research conducted by The Nielsen Company for the Cable &
Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM).
One-third of the adult broadband users (35%) surveyed for the
Nielsen-CTAM study said they had watched at least one television program
originally shown on TV via the Internet. Of those who sought out video
content online, 87% watched television programs directly from a TV
network Web site. Further, 82% of those who watched video content
online, reported that they went online to find a specific television
program that they had missed when it first aired on TV. This indicates
the critical importance of strong marketing for the initial TV showing
and the success that major networks are having by taking popular
programs to the online platform.
Online television viewers are not only catching up on their favorite
shows, nearly 40% report using the Internet to get the scoop on actors
and upcoming episodes.
ONLINE TELEVISION
VIEWERS
Which TV related
activities have you done online?
| Read background info about a
show's cast member |
39% |
| Viewed a show's previews |
38% |
| Read background info about the
show or the show's characters |
37% |
| Viewed a behind-the-scenes
video clip |
27% |
| Read or viewed a show's cast
member interview |
26% |
| Viewed a show's bloopers |
22% |
| Viewed a show's deleted scenes |
20% |
Source: "CTAM Tracking The
Evolving Use of Television and Its Content: Wave 4 Trend Results and
Analysis" Study (2008)
Asked to choose among
seventeen online content categories, online video content viewers said
they prefer to watch shorter video clips when they go online.
Specifically, movie trailers (53%), user generated videos (45%), music
videos and general news segments (37%), comedy programs (31%), and
sports clips (31%) were respondents’ top choices.
“Tracking how consumer behavior is changing as a result of new
television viewing platforms is critical to our business,” said Char
Beales, President and CEO of CTAM. “As preferences are made clear
through research, cable companies and content providers evolve the
product mix to best suit viewers’ needs and desires.”
“With so many viewing options now available via digital technology, it’s
more important than ever to understand how people are consuming media,”
said Susan Whiting, Executive Vice President, The Nielsen Company. “This
analysis shows a continuing strong appetite for watching television the
traditional way even as viewers begin to extend their viewing to the
personal computer.”
In general, the study found that people are spending more time online
each week than they were two years ago. More than half of the
respondents (51%) reported being online for at least three hours a week
last year. In 2005, just 41% of those surveyed said they spent three or
more hours online per week.
Nielsen and CTAM’s analysis also found growth among services associated
with traditional television set viewing. For example, respondents’
knowledge and usage of video On Demand services increased substantially
between 2005 and 2007. Free On Demand programs and movies also
experienced a significant jump in usage from 49% in 2005 to 71% in 2007,
and paid On Demand usage increased from 46% to 55%.
Other key findings from the report include:
HDTV subscribers are exceptionally loyal: Of those respondents
who own HDTV sets, two-fifths (41%) subscribe to a high-definition
programming service. These subscribers report making it a point to watch
high-definition programs “every time” (20%) or “most of the time” (45%)
they watch television.
Digital cable and HDTV are poised for further growth: Interest in
digital cable and HDTV sets is strong among respondents currently
without these services or devices. Those interested in digital cable
jumped from 9% to 20% and from 18% to 28% for high definition TV sets
from 2005 to 2007.
Viewers are accessing TV content via new media platforms: Small,
but significant, percentages of respondents reported watching television
via desktop computers (14%), laptops (9%), video-enabled mobile phones
(6%), or other portable video players (5%).
Portable video platforms are slowly gaining popularity: While a
large percent (82%) of adults in this study own a mobile phone, only 7%
subscribe to a video downloading service. Of those respondents who own a
video iPod, 35% have never watched a video on it, 16% watch videos two
or three times a month, 14% watch videos once a week, and 9% watch
videos daily via iPod.
About the Study
CTAM and Nielsen Entertainment Television partnered in conducting this
study, “CTAM Tracking The Evolving Use of Television and its Content:
Wave 4 Trend Results and Analysis,” which provides a comprehensive look
at how emerging technologies are changing the way Americans access
television content. This study was conducted as part of CTAM’s industry
trends tracking market research program, in collaboration with Nielsen
Entertainment Television. Data was collected via a nationwide telephone
survey of 1,200 adults and 300 teens who subscribe to standard cable,
digital cable or satellite television services; broadcast TV-only
households were not included in the study. The full report is available
for purchase on the CTAM Web site.
About CTAM
CTAM, the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing, is
dedicated to helping the cable business grow. As a non-profit
professional association, CTAM provides marketing education and
networking opportunities to more than 5,500 members, through
conferences, consumer research, publications,
www.ctam.com, a network of regional
chapters, and the CTAM Executive Management Program at the Harvard
Business School. CTAM also facilitates unified, national cooperative
marketing efforts on behalf of its corporate members, such as the Cable
Mover Hotline (SM), Business Services Initiative, and On Demand
Consortium. Consumers can learn about cable's advanced services and see
offers from their local providers at the CTAM-supported
www.ThisIsCable.com®.
About The Nielsen Company
The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with
leading market positions in television and strategic custom research
(Nielsen Entertainment Television), marketing information (ACNielsen),
media information (Nielsen Media Research), online intelligence (NetRatings
and BuzzMetrics), mobile measurement (Nielsen Mobile), trade shows and
business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The
privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with
headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and New York, USA. For more
information, please visit,
www.nielsen.com.
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Contacts:
Diana Cronan, CTAM, 703.837.6575
Anne Saini, Nielsen, 646.654.8691 |
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