Data Monday: Video Viewing Across Devices

by January 16, 2012

As rumors of a new Apple TV continue to swirl, it's worth looking at how people are using networked devices to watch TV and online video programming. Hint: it's a multi-device world...

  • Almost 145 million people watch video online in the U.S., compared to about 290 million who watch traditional TV. Americans spend an average of 32 hours and 47 minutes a week watching traditional TV. They only spend an average of 3 hours and 58 minutes a week on the Internet, and only 27 minutes a week watching video online. (source)
  • Game consoles have become the most popular device in the U.S. for watching online content on a TV screen. 12% of U.S. households (about 15 million) use gaming consoles to watch content online, which is more than the percentage of households that connect a PC to a TV via HDMI. (source)
  • Streaming video on game consoles is up over last year. Streaming now represents a reported 14% of Xbox 360 time, 15% of PS3 time and 33% of Wii time. The three platforms combined are up 7 percent in user time versus the year prior. These findings suggest that streaming is incrementally adding to the time users are spending with consoles. (source)
  • 80% of smartphone owners are mobile multitasking while watching TV. 15% are on their phones for programs’ entire durations. 60% browse the mobile web, of which 44% search for unrelated content and 38% search for related content. (source)
  • 40% of tablet and smartphone owners in the U.S. used their devices daily while watching TV, while only 14% of eReader owners said they watched TV while using their device every day. (source)
  • Tablets are seeing a significantly higher level of engagement in online video viewing, as tablet viewers watch longer than viewers of desktops or mobile devices. Tablet viewers watch 28% longer than desktop viewers. Mobile viewers completed three-quarters of a long-form video at a rate of 20%, compared to 18% for desktops. (source)