Recent research provided by Crackle (a subdivision of Sony Pictures Television) has offered the suggestion that internet streaming through connected TV sets is now at the foremost position of watching audiences’ minds, on a level close to that of traditional live TV.
The study performed by Crackle (working in association with Frank N. Magid Associates) discovered that with greater power in their remote, viewers enjoy being able to choose when they watch selected content such as TV shows and movies where available, with connected TV platforms (such as smart TV, games consoles, and dedicated set-top boxes) the most commonly-preferred means of doing so compared with portable devices and desktop, according to ‘over half’ of respondents.
Those respondents were part of a ‘national independent survey’ that covered 1,200 adults aged between 18-49, a study that also found viewers to be streaming through connected devices ‘at a record pace’ within primetime hours, and have more opportunities than ever before to create truly personalised viewing habits in the modern ‘new living room’, trends which transcend online catch-up to also cover DVR-recorded programming.
Further statistics found that 96% of people questioned had the ability to stream video through one means or another, with 54% able to stream directly through their screen via an appropriate platform as mentioned above, compared with 44% able to do so by computer, 19% on tablet computers and 15% via smartphones, while half of those who identified themselves as potential ‘cord-cutters’ claimed they would be doing so for a connected TV platform if they went ahead with their plans.
Crackle general manager and Sony Pictures Television’s ‘executive vice-president of digital networks’ Eric Berger spoke of the findings in the report, stating: “Viewing habits are quickly evolving and Connected TV is going mainstream. This shifting landscape reinforces that there is a tremendous opportunity here for advertisers to engage consumers and really drive brand awareness by targeting the increasingly influential Connected TV medium.”
