More access to television shows leads to more binge-viewing

In order for advertisers to respond to consumer needs, it’s best to constantly be updated on consumer habits. According to MediaPost and eMarketer, Harris Interactive conducted a study this past February to record how US adults access time-shifted TV. Because of the numerous ways TV viewers are able to watch content, the phenomenon binge-viewing is continuing to grow.

Results showed that 80% of those surveyed watch TV through web-based subscription video on demand services (SVOD) like Netflix or Hulu, video-on-demand (VOD) cable or satellite, or through digital video recorders (DVRs).

In the findings, Harris reports that about 62% have watched multiple episodes of television shows in a row. This is called binge-viewing, which is most commonly watched through SVOD, VOD, DVRs, or DVDs. Interestingly enough, TV shows that tend to be the most binge-viewed are older shows or past seasons of current shows. Only about 12% of binge-viewing was done with current shows.

It is noteworthy that the younger demographics tend to have higher binge-viewership. According to the report, 18-29 year olds have a 78% likelihood to binge-view, 30-39 year olds are at 73%, and 40-54 year olds index at 58%. This behavior characteristic can be used to help advertisers craft a plan to reach the target audience.