Almost 90% of millennials engage in second-screen behaviours when watching video content, the highest percentage of any demographic, according to a study from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).
The survey, 2015 Video Consumption Trends: Part 1 and Part 2, from the trade association which represents the $287 billion US consumer technology industry, found that while watching video content, half of online Americans use second screens via another device such as a smartphone or tablet to augment first-screen content.
Half of such users are typically accessing information about the content they're viewing, while 48% watch content on other devices during commercials and 43% follow social media discussions either related or unrelated to the programming.
Millennials aged 18-34 were found to be far more likely to engage in second-screen behaviours than adults aged 35-years and older, of whom 71% engage with social media while watching video content - a stark 40 percentage points higher than adults 35 and older, and 70% watch content on another device during commercials, 32 percentage points higher than adults 35 and older.
Even though TV remained the most preferred device for viewing most video content, screens on other devices — notably computers, tablets and smartphones — were found to be preferred collectively for watching streamed content (57%, 13 points higher than televisions). For most types of video content, millennials were more likely to watch from non-traditional devices (42%) compared with adults 35 and older (22%). Only a tenth of consumers (11%) reports having cancelled his or her service provider subscription in the past year, usually citing alternate options available at a lower cost (27%).
“More than ever before, consumers - especially millennials - are using non-traditional devices such as computers, tablets and smartphones for content viewing," said Steve Koenig, senior director of market research at the CTA. "As technology continues to improve, consumer behaviours and expectations also evolve - but televisions still reign as the preferred viewing device in American households today.”
Half of such users are typically accessing information about the content they're viewing, while 48% watch content on other devices during commercials and 43% follow social media discussions either related or unrelated to the programming.
Millennials aged 18-34 were found to be far more likely to engage in second-screen behaviours than adults aged 35-years and older, of whom 71% engage with social media while watching video content - a stark 40 percentage points higher than adults 35 and older, and 70% watch content on another device during commercials, 32 percentage points higher than adults 35 and older.
Even though TV remained the most preferred device for viewing most video content, screens on other devices — notably computers, tablets and smartphones — were found to be preferred collectively for watching streamed content (57%, 13 points higher than televisions). For most types of video content, millennials were more likely to watch from non-traditional devices (42%) compared with adults 35 and older (22%). Only a tenth of consumers (11%) reports having cancelled his or her service provider subscription in the past year, usually citing alternate options available at a lower cost (27%).
“More than ever before, consumers - especially millennials - are using non-traditional devices such as computers, tablets and smartphones for content viewing," said Steve Koenig, senior director of market research at the CTA. "As technology continues to improve, consumer behaviours and expectations also evolve - but televisions still reign as the preferred viewing device in American households today.”
