In the latest example of how media consumption shifts are rapidly occurring amid the Covid-19 pandemic, media analyst Comscore has found that OTT streaming has significantly increased across connected TVs and streaming boxes/sticks in recent weeks across the US.
The analysis revealed that thus far in March 2020, household utilisation rates saw over-the-top (OTT) usage up 28% and total OTT hours up 13%. The findings also showed that connected TV and streaming boxes/sticks have registered significant year-over-year growth. Overall, streaming boxes and sticks make up 56% of to-date OTT streaming hours in March 2020 and connected TVs account for 32%. Furthermore, Comscore notes that when comparing the three most recent days of available data, this growth is even more pronounced compared with the same days in 2019.At the app level, the big four streaming services — Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and YouTube — accounted for the majority of total OTT hours viewed, 86%, on both connected TV and via streaming boxes/sticks with Netflix leading both categories for March 2020 to-date.
“Comscore’s latest information shows that the millions of Americans who are remaining indoors to comply with Coronavirus public health measures are hungry for news and entertainment, and streaming options are an increasingly important piece of the consumption pie along with traditional TV,” said Comscore CEO Bill Livek in the research update.
“Advertisers who are looking to pivot their planning to match the rapidly-changing media consumption landscape can benefit from engaging with these growing audiences.”
