The increasing popularity of TV connected devices such as Now TV is leading to more UK viewers choosing their TV over laptops and devices for accessing video on demand content, according to new figures from Mediabug – Decipher’s bi-annual media consumption tracker. The report (purchase required), which sources data from an online survey of 3,000 UK consumers, found that both PCs and tablets lost share of online VOD viewing (five percent and two percent respectively) – whilst Apple TV (up one percent), Now TV (up one percent), Chromecast (up one percent) and Smart TV’s (up two percent) all gained.
Decipher say the trend is also being driven by the rollout of internet connected boxes from all of the Pay TV providers, along with an increase in TV-based support for content subscription services. YouView recently joined Virgin Media, Now TV, Apple TV, Smart TV’s and a host of other OTT devices in supporting SVOD services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime. EE also recently joined the market with their EE TV box, containing support for Catch Up services and subscription content from Wuaki.
Mediabug also reported that OTT services are the most frequently used for VOD viewing. Sky’s Now TV box topped the list, with 20 percent of owners using it daily, followed by Apple TV and Smart TVs. Smartphones came in last, with 6 percent.
Netflix continues strong growth, mostly amongst Pay TV homes: Netflix has added another 3 percent of UK online homes, bringing it to a total of 16 percent. Amazon Prime has seen a small recovery from their early 2014 rebrand jitters, now with 7 percent of online homes.
Director of Decipher Media Research Dr. Hamish McPharlin said: ‘These findings really show how TV connected devices are making their mark. Mediabug consistently demonstrates that despite the popularity of handheld devices, video consumption is enjoyed mainly in the home. What we are seeing is a realisation of the desire to enjoy video consumption, from an increasing number of sources, on the best screen in the home.”
