Consumer study shows changing TV behavior

August 26, 2010

A recent study by Ericsson’s ConsumerLab reveals that consumers are spending up to 35 percent of their leisure time watching television and video content, and they are also becoming more aware of new technologies such as Internet-based TV that are creating new patterns of media consumption.

The study, which sampled more than 300 million people in seven countries, found that at least once per week, 93 percent of people watch scheduled "linear" broadcast TV and more than 70 percent of consumers stream, download or watch recorded broadcast TV on a weekly basis. Additionally, 50 percent of consumers use Internet-based on-demand TV or video every week.?

Consumers said that broadcast live content is still very important to them, but that the ability to decide when and how to watch TV is also important and changes the role of linear or scheduled broadcast content — they would prefer a "personalized, easy-to-use, high quality, on-demand service without commercial breaks" as their future TV service.

There is also a clear correlation between the features that consumers think are important and if they are willing to pay for them, but consumer spending is not proportionate to the viewing time invested, the study says. Sixty percent of consumers’ total TV viewing is related to broadcast TV. Respondents also showed a high interest toward the touch screen tablet regarding TV consumption: 37 percent are very interested in using a tablet as a remote control, according to the study.

?"The consumer is looking for a solution that can offer them the freedom to choose what they want, when they want it and how they want it," says Anders Erlandsson, senior advisor at Ericsson ConsumerLab. "The user experience is in focus, rather than the technical platform."  

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