Q4 2014 VIDEO TRENDS REPORT Consumer Behavior Across Pay-TV, VOD, OTT, Connected Devices, and Content Discovery
VIDEO TRENDS REPORT Introduction Each quarter, Digitalsmiths seeks real consumer opinions to uncover key trends facing Pay-TV providers, content owners, and consumer electronics manufacturers. The genuine, unbiased perspective and feedback are influential in driving continuous improvements to Digitalsmiths Seamless Discovery, the industry s leading personalized content discovery platform, and Seamless Insight, which delivers reporting and analytics necessary to optimize content discovery. The findings are shared for the same reason Digitalsmiths uses them, in hopes other industry players leverage the information to improve and develop video applications and features to enhance the overall TV viewing experience offered today. Survey Demographics Survey Size: 3,048 Consumers Geographic Regions: United States, Canada Ages of Respondents: 18+ Years of Age This survey was conducted in by a leading thirdparty survey service. Digitalsmiths analyzed the results. Digitalsmiths conducts this survey on a quarterly basis and publishes a report evaluating and analyzing key trends across the Pay-TV industry. The importance of this survey is to track consumer trends over time, offering Pay-TV providers real, unbiased feedback regarding consumers behaviors, perception of the industry and views of new technology hitting the market. Digitalsmiths has conducted this survey since 2012, enabling the company to monitor, track and identify key trends in consumers viewing habits and their opinions of Pay-TV providers, emerging technologies, TV apps, and content discovery features such as personalized recommendations. New to the Video Trends Report, and in addition to quarter-over-quarter (q/q) analysis, is a year-over-year (y/y) analysis of some of the most popular topics covered in this report. In addition, a major focus of Digitalsmiths includes the use of data and analytics to optimize the TV experience and to meet the business goals of video service providers. The report also contains analytical commentary provided by Digitalsmiths in-house data experts. These sections are based on a deeper dive into the survey results, but with any analytical insights it is important to understand the following: Methodologies, Causality and Correlations With any analytical methodologies used, one must be aware of the difference between causal and correlated relationships. Unless explicitly stated, the conclusions made herein are based purely on correlated analysis. Causal relationships require additional research and analysis beyond the scope of this white paper.perception of the industry and views of new technology hitting the market. PAY-TV PROVIDER Who is your current cable/satellite service provider? Verizon Insight Communications Company Comcast Corporation Charter Communications Time Warner Cable OtherDIRECTV Cox Communications DISH Network Videotron Shaw None Bell Cablevision Systems Rogers Communications SaskTel AT&T U-verse Bright House Networks Mediacom Communications Corporatiion Suddenlink Communications TELUS MTS Cogeco Cable 2
VIDEO TRENDS REPORT Pay-TV Providers According to survey respondents, 8.9% switched Pay-TV providers in the prior three months. Based on a year-over-year analysis this represents a 2.1% increase. Additionally, in the next six months 4.2% of respondents plan to cut service, 7.9% plan to change service, and 2.6% plan to switch to an online app or rental service. While some of these numbers seem minimal, they should still raise concern for Pay-TV Providers since multiplied by millions of subscribers, the revenue threat alone is apparent. Creating value for services and improving experiences is extremely important for all customers, but it is especially imperative for the consumers who are paying $151+ per month for Pay-TV services. When asked about their monthly cable/satellite bill, the survey results saw a 2.1% q/q increase to 24% of respondents who pay $151+ per month. This represents the largest group of respondents and is a 3.3% increase y/y. BILL AMOUNT How much is your total monthly bill from your cable/satellite provider for all major services used such as TV, Internet, and phone (not including video-on-demand/movie purchases)? SWITCHING PROVIDERS Have you switched cable/satellite providers in the last three months? NO 6.8% 8.9% +2.1% y/y 91.1% Do you plan to change cable/satellite providers in the next six months? 54.4% 4.2% 7.9% 30.9% 2.6% 54.4% 30.9% 2.6% 7.9% 4.2% 93.2% NO, plan to STAY with current cable/ satellite provider MAYBE, planning to SWITCH to an online app or rental service instead of a cable/satellite service, planning to CHANGE cable/satellite providers, planning to CUT cable/satellite service +2.1% q/q +3.3% y/y 20.7% 21.9% 24% 16.6% 17.4% 17.7% 20.9% 20.4% 19.2% 18.8% 18.3% 16.8% 15.5% 14.5% 14.0% 7.5% 7.5% 8.3% If would you consider keeping your existing service if your provider released new functionality that made it easier for you to find something to watch? (For example, if you had shows recommended to you based on your 49.6% say interests so it is easier to find something you want to watch on TV.) $151+ $126 $150 $101 $125 $76 $100 $51 $75 <$50 3
Pay-TV Providers VIDEO TRENDS REPORT Diving deeper into value and overall satisfaction levels, the positive news is the results show a slight increase in satisfaction levels with 21.1% of respondents being very satisfied with the service and 55.9% being satisfied with the service. Stepping back and reviewing the whole picture, however, there is still 23.0% of respondents who are unsatisfied with the cable/satellite service which unfortunately saw a 3.4% increase y/y. While it may be nearly impossible to reach 100% satisfaction with a customer-base, it is a key metric to track in order to keep a pulse on subscribers, as the Pay-TV landscape is changing at a rapid pace. Here is a breakdown of key trends for the unsatisfied respondents: Quarter-over-Quarter: The top three answers increasing q/q are bad channel selection, poor internet service, and poor customer service. Year-over-Year: The top three answers increasing y/y are poor customer service, poor internet service, and poor cable/satellite service. Key Takeaways: While customer service should always be a top priority for any service provider, bad channel selection and poor cable/satellite service should also be a large concern, since there are numerous content discovery offerings available to Pay-TV providers today. Of the respondents who plan to cut, change or switch to an app/ OTT service, 49.6% answered they would stay if their provider released new functionality that makes it easier to find something to watch. This represents a 9.6% q/q increase! Rising competition from providers such as Google, which is currently expanding into new markets with its TV and Fiber offerings, requires operators that offer both Pay-TV and Internet service to address issues in a timely fashion to avoid losing customers to these new offerings. VALUE How would you rate the level of value you are receiving from your cable/satellite service provider? If UNSATISFIED, why do you feel you re not getting enough value from your provider? (Choose all that apply.) Increasing fees for cable/satellite service Increasing fees for Internet service Poor cable/satellite service Poor Internet service Bad channel selection Poor customer service Other (please specify) Very Satisfied Satisfied Unsatisfied 13.4% 16.5% 14.9% 20.3% 21.1% 19.6% 23.0% 36.7% 42.3% 39.7% 30.6% 34.4% 36.7% 26.2% 29.2% 33.6% 33.9% 30.9% 35.8% 31.4% 39.7% 42.2% 60.1% 55.9% +3.4% y/y +4.4% q/q +7.4% y/y +2.3% q/q +6.1% y/y +4.9% q/q +2.5% q/q +10.8% y/y 67.4% 69.5% 68.1% 4
Pay-TV Providers VIDEO TRENDS REPORT Additionally, according to survey results, more respondents increased services (20.4%) than decreased services (16.4%), which is a positive trend for both y/y and q/q. The top three services added in were premium channels, Internet and HD service. Key Takeaway: While many of the stats discussed in this section may be alarming, Digitalsmiths feels its customers are making important strides towards improving the overall Pay-TV experience. Equally important is knowing the consumers viewing habits and leveraging that information to properly market to and educate viewers about content and features/services the household is not currently engaged with but might enjoy. SERVICE ADJUSTMENT Have you adjusted your level of cable/satellite service in the last 12 months? 18.6% +1.3% q/q +1.8% y/y 19.1% 20.4% 64.8% 64.8% 63.2% 16.6% 16.1% 16.4% PREMIUM CHANNELS Do you pay for any of the following premium channels? (Choose all that apply.) Increased/Added Services Stayed the same Decreased/Removed Services Cinemax 10.6% Starz 10.7% Sports Package(s) 13.2% A Movie Channel/Network 14.7% What service(s) did you ADD? What service(s) did you CUT? Showtime HBO None Other (please specify) 2.5% 16.9% 24% 58.2% New/Upgraded Equipment Premium Sports Package(s) Phone DVR 16.4% 16.4% 17% 26.1% New/Upgraded Equipment Cut Cable/Satellite Service Totally Internet DVR 4.8% 7.6% 8.8% 10% High Definition (HD) 30.7% Phone 10.9% Internet 31.8% Premium Sports Package(s) 13.3% Premium Channels Other (please specify) 11.6% 37.7% Premium Channels Reduced Level of Cable/Satellite Service Other (please specify) 5% 40.6% 49.4% 5
VIDEO TRENDS REPORT TV Viewing Habits The survey results show the majority of respondents, 52.9%, watch 1 to 3 hours of TV per day, a 2.3% increase q/q. An analysis of consumer viewing habits found: Respondents watched slightly less live TV than previous quarters, with 26.5% watching less than 1 hour a 2.7% increase y/y. In addition, over half of respondents watch 2 hours or less of live TV per day. Consistent with the previous quarter, 43.1% of respondents watch less than 1 hour of recorded TV per day. VIEWING LIVE TV On average, how much of your daily TV watching is live TV accessed from your channel guide (not DVR d or recorded shows)? <1 hour 1-2 hours 2-3 hours 3-4 hours 10.1% 10.7% 18.7% 16.9% 23.8% 26.5% 26% 25.9% +2.7% y/y TV VIEWING On average, how many hours a day do you watch TV? <1 hour 1-2 hours 2-3 hours 3-4 hours 4-5 hours 5+ hours Not on a regular basis 7% 7.1% 10.1% 10% 8.5% 7.4% 12.7% 12.6% 18.1% 17.1% 21% 21.6% 22.6% 24.2% +2.3% q/q 4-5 hours 5+ hours Not on a regular basis VIEWING RECORDED TV 6.5% 5.5% 7.4% 7.1% 7.5% 7.4% On average, how much of your daily TV viewing time is spent watching shows that you have recorded/dvr d? <1 hour 1-2 hours 2-3 hours 3-4 hours 4-5 hours 5+ hours 5.1% 3.1% 2.9% 12.5% 25.9% 43.1% Not on a regular basis 7.4% 6
TV Viewing Habits VIDEO TRENDS REPORT 63.5% of respondents spend 5 minutes or more per day channel surfing in order to find something to watch. This is an ample amount of time to assist in the decision-making process through content recommendations or other discovery methods. Since implementing content search and recommendations solutions is a key focus for many Pay-TV providers, Digitalsmiths believes channel surfing is a key metric to monitor the success of these efforts. Consistent with previous quarters, 31.6% of respondents feel overwhelmed by the number of channels available to them. 85.1% watch the same channels over and over. However, a positive change for Pay-TV providers is a 3.1% increase y/y in respondents who answered no to watching the same channels repeatedly. This y/y trend proves consumers are slowly expanding upon the 8 to 10 channels they typically watch, which could ultimately lead to increased satisfaction and engagement with their Pay-TV service. NUMBER OF CHANNELS Do you feel overwhelmed by the number of channels available to you, and listed in your guide? NO 68.4% 31.6% CHANNEL SURFING On average, how much time a day do you spend searching (channel surfing) or scrolling through the guide looking for something to watch? <5 minutes 5-10 minutes 29.1% 29% VARIETY OF CHANNELS Do you feel you watch the same channels over and over again? 88.2% 85.1% 10-20 minutes 20-30 minutes 8.9% 17.1% NO 11.8% 14.9% +3.1% y/y 30-40 minutes 40-50 minutes 60+ minutes 1.7% 3.7% 3.1% I do not watch TV on a regular basis 7.4% 7
TV Viewing Habits VIDEO TRENDS REPORT In, 78.7% of respondents watch only 1 to 10 channels, which is only a 1.6% decrease y/y and 1.7% q/q. While respondents watched more channels in, this is still alarming because now the question arises, Will subscribers continue to pay $80 to $100+ per month for 10 channels, considering the alternative options that are now available? Leveraging content discovery functionality enables Pay-TV providers to push relevant content through personalized recommendations to subscribers, forcing them outside of the 10 channels they typically watch. WHAT TO WATCH Do you feel it is easy to find something you want to watch on TV? Yes 61.9% 60% 63.6% +3.6% q/q +1.7% y/y Another positive trend pointing to content discovery efforts by many Pay-TV providers is 63.6% of respondents stated it is easy to find something they want to watch on TV, a 3.6% q/q and 1.7% y/y increase. How often do you know what you re going to watch when sitting down to watch TV? < 10% of the time 10% - 20% 20% - 30% 30% - 40% 40% - 50% 50% - 60% 60% - 70% 70% - 80% 80% - 90% 90% - 100% 7.0% 7.5% 6.8% 7.3% 8.6% 9.9% 12.4% 12.3% 14.1% 14.1% NUMBER OF CHANNELS Of the channels offered to you, how many channels do you typically watch, on average? 2.0% 3.7% 3.1% 3.3% 3.0% 3.3% 6.6% 6.2% 6.7% 8.7% 8.5% 8.7% 15.1% 15.3% 14.3% 11.8% 10.4% 10.2% 5.6% 5.6% 5.6% 6.3% 6.0% 5.8% 2.4% 1.8% 1.9% 18.5% 19.9% 19.1% 0.7% 0.8% 0.6% 4.7% 4.2% 4.3% 0.5% 0.5% 0.7% 0.9% 1.0% 0.6% 5.9% 6.4% 5.7% 0.7% 0.4% 0.8% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.6% 0.5% 0.2% 0.4% 5.2% 5.5% 7.3% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20+ Number of Channels 78.7% watch only 1-10 channels: -1.7% q/q, -1.6% y/y 8
VIDEO TRENDS REPORT Video on Demand (VOD) and Over-the-Top Trends (OTT) Pay-TV VOD Offerings Pay-TV providers still struggle to get subscribers to leverage their VOD offerings, with 69.3% of survey participants renting zero movies each month. However, on a more positive note, 1 to 3 rentals per month rose to 24.9%, a 3.0% q/q and 3.1% y/y increase. VOD PURCHASES PER MONTH How many VOD purchases does your household make on average, each month? (Movies purchased from ondemand stations provided by your cable/satellite provider. Does NOT include Netflix, Redbox, itunes, etc.) 69.3% 72.6% 72.8% 0 Rentals 1 3 Rentals Another significant improvement in showed 48.8% of respondents answered it was easy to find a movie in their provider s VOD catalog. This is a 4.7% increase q/q. While year-over-year was consistent, many of the new content discovery features were implemented in Q3 and, so this is not a surprising metric. +3% q/q +3.1% y/y 24.9% 21.9% 21.8% While VOD rentals trend upward, Pay-TV providers need to focus on the 69.3% of respondents not leveraging these services at all. Moving this metric a few percentage points in a positive direction results in significant revenue impact when multiplied by millions of subscribers. OTT Offerings Cord-cheating, a phenomenon Digitalsmiths began tracking in Q2 2013, refers to the trend by consumers to seek on-demand video content from third-party and OTT services as an alternative to traditional Pay-TV providers. Cord-cheating spans a variety of delivery models, including streaming subscription services such as Netflix and pay-per-rental services like Redbox kiosks. VOD CATALOG Do you feel it s easy to find a movie you will enjoy in the VOD catalog provided by your cable/satellite provider? +4.7% q/q 48.8% 26.1% 25.1% 44.1% 26.6% 29.3% EASY NOT EASY N/A 9
Video on Demand (VOD) and Over-the-Top Trends (OTT) VIDEO TRENDS REPORT Cord-cheating is taking off as expected, which can be partially attributed to the publicity and awards that services like Netflix and Amazon received for their efforts in producing their own series and movies. Fifty-three percent of respondents use a monthly subscription service such as Netflix, Hulu, etc. Adoption of OTT subscription services increased 8.0% y/y. The results show the largest group at 36.0% used these services 1 to 5 hours per week. While 53.3% of respondents spend between $6 and $11 per month, those who spend $12 to $14 grew the most y/y to 9.5 percent. MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES Do you use any of these monthly subscription services for movies or TVs? (Choose all that apply.) Amazon Prime (free movies) Use of subscription services +8% y/y On average, how many hours per week do you watch content on these subscription services? Hulu/Hulu Plus Netflix Redbox Instant (not kiosk) 16.7% 10.1% 46.4% 46.7% 1.6% <1 1 5 10.6% 36% 20 25 25 30 2.8% 2% Blockbuster 11.6% 7.7% 39% 54.7% 5 10 20.2% 30+ 2.6% None 2.6% 1.4% 10 15 12.1% Rarely 6.3% 37.5% 15 20 6.6% Never 0.8% How much do you spend each month on subscription services (Netflix, Hulu, Blockbuster)? 2.9% 2.8% 3.6% 2.8% 6.4% 31.4% 19.6% 21.9% 9.5% 7.7% 8.2% 5.9% 6.4% 2.3% 3.1% 1.4% 1.3% 1% 1.1% 1.3% 1.2% 10.4% 10.3% $1 $2 $3 $5 $6 $8 $9 $11 $12 $14 $15 $17 $18 $20 $21 $24 $25 $27 $28 $30 $30+ N/A Dollars Spent 10
Video on Demand (VOD) and Over-the-Top Trends (OTT) VIDEO TRENDS REPORT Another level of competition for Pay-TV providers is the transactional ondemand services such as Redbox kiosks (at retail stores), Amazon and itunes. Thirty-one percent of respondents leverage these services, and of those 44.1% spend between $3 and $11 per month. According to survey results, adoption of these services is not increasing as rapidly as subscription services, but growth is indeed occurring with increases of 2.1% q/q and 2.3% y/y. Of the respondents who leverage these services, 37.5% use them 1 to 5 hours per week. PAY-PER-RENTAL SERVICES Do you rent from any of these pay-per-rental services including purchases ONLY on Amazon, Best Buy s CinemaNow, itunes, Redbox kiosks, Vudu? (choose all that apply) Amazon Best Buy s CinemaNow itunes Redbox Kiosks Vudu YouTube Movies (paid) None Use of pay-per-rental services +2.1% q/q, +2.3% y/y 10% 7.3% 17.3% 68.9% 1.5% 2.1% 2.2% 10.3% 7.9% 15.5% 71% 0.9% 1.3% 2% 8.5 6.4% 17.3% 71.2% On average, how many hours per week do you watch content on these pay-per-rental services? <1 1 5 5 10 10 15 15 20 20% 37.5% 9.7% 4.4% 3% 20 25 25 30 30+ Rarely Never 2.1% 1.2% 0.7% 17.7% 3.7% 0.7% 1.4% 1.5% How much do you spend per month renting movies from these pay-per-rental services? 14.6% 23% 12.2% 8.9% 6.4% 3.6% 4.8% 1.9% 1.5% 0.6% 1.3% 21.2% $1 $2 $3 $5 $6 $8 $9 $11 $12 $14 $15 $17 $18 $20 $21 $24 $25 $27 $28 $30 $30+ N/A Dollars Spent 11
Video on Demand (VOD) and Over-the-Top Trends (OTT) VIDEO TRENDS REPORT The real question becomes, why are consumers leveraging these OTT services more frequently? The top three reasons are: Convenience (57.0%) Cheaper (47.3%) The ability to watch certain TV shows and whole seasons (43.0%) WHY USE OTT SERVICES Why do you use these 3rd party rental and/or monthly subscription services like Amazon, itunes, Netflix, Vudu, CinemaNow, Blockbuster, Redbox, YouTube? (choose all that apply): Ability to watch on ipad/tablet 24.3% 21.4% +2.9% y/y Another interesting finding is the survey answers that experienced the greatest y/y growth. Digitalsmiths believes this type of growth speaks to the change in viewing behaviors of consumers who watch TV on phones and tablets, possibly outside the home, as well as supports the ever-growing trend of binge viewing. The ability to watch certain TV shows and whole seasons (+4.5% y/y) Ability to watch on smartphone Ability to watch certain TV shows & whole seasons 15.8% 12.7% +3.1% y/y 43% 38.5% +4.5% y/y Ability to watch on a smartphone (+3.1% y/y) Ability to watch on an ipad/tablet (+2.9% y/y) Convenience 57% 59.2% Digitalsmiths believes 2015 will be the year to determine whether OTT really disrupts the Pay-TV market. One potential game changer could be services such as the recently launched Sling TV, which consists of a variety of channels, including ESPN and ESPN 2 for $20 per month. This is a strategic, multi-platform offering by Sling TV in an effort to possibly go after cord-cutters; it will be interesting to see if other traditional Pay-TV providers follow their lead. We regularly hear consumers tell us they would cut the cord if it weren t for losing ESPN. Additionally, Sony recently announced plans for a cloud-based service, Sony Playstation Vue, that will include various broadcast networks but as of now, have made no mention of including ESPN. Will more offerings become available in 2015 with live sports included? Cheaper Better selection Easier to find what you re looking for No cable/satellite services Other 14% 13.1% 5.4% 4.8% 47.3% 50.1% 31.3% 35.6% 28.3% 29.6% 12
VIDEO TRENDS REPORT Connected Devices It should be no surprise a significant number of respondents own connected devices of some sort, but what is the growth in ownership of these devices and how does this affect the consumption of video content? The results show 48.6% of respondents own an ipad/tablet and 65.6% own a smartphone. Both saw significant y/y growth of 6.9% for ipad/tablets and 7.4% for smartphones. But the real question becomes, are consumers viewing video content on these devices? The good news is in respondents viewed slightly more content, with 39.3% respondents watching video on their smartphone. This is a 2.4% y/y and 2.9% q/q increase. The top viewed content in on smartphones was news, movies and TV show/movie previews and trailers. The bulk of respondents (32.4%) who use these devices are watching content 2 hours or less per week. TABLET & SMARTPHONE OWNERS Do you own an ipad/tablet, or a Smartphone? (Choose all that apply.), I own an ipad/tablet, I own a smartphone NO, I do not own either device NONE 21.1% 28.3% 41.7% 48.6% 58.2% +6.9% y/y 65.6% +7.4% y/y VIDEO CONTENT ON SMARTPHONES Do you watch any of the following video content on your smartphone? (Choose all that apply.) 37.1% 5.6% 10.9% 15.2% 16.7% 13.1% 5.4% 15.4% Live TV Shows On average per week, how often do you watch TV shows, movies, or video content on your smartphone? Reruns/Previous Seasons of TV Shows Movies News Sports Clips Sporting Events TV Show Previews, Movie Previews 39.3% watch videos on Smartphones: +2.9% q/q, +2.4% y/y 19.1% 22.6% 9.8% Never Rarely >1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5+ 4.8% 3.1% 0.8% 2.7% Hours per Week 13
Connected Devices VIDEO TRENDS REPORT A larger audience, 59.5%, watched video content on their ipad/ Tablet, a 4.0% increase y/y. The top viewed content in was movies, news, and TV show/movie previews and trailers. Again, the bulk of respondents (49.9%) watch content on their ipad/tablet 2 hours or less per week. However, 1 to 2 hours per week saw a 2.9% y/y and 2.4% q/q growth. In addition to smartphones and ipads/tablets, it seems new TV oriented connected devices and streaming devices are being released each quarter. Of the respondents, 37.7% own a connected device, with the most popular being a Blu-ray player, Smart TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast and/or a Roku Streaming Player. While quarterly growth was minimal, this is a trend we continue to monitor as some of these streaming services may pose a threat to the Pay-TV market. VIDEO CONTENT ON IPADS/TABLETS Do you watch any of the following video content on your ipad/tablet? (Choose all that apply.) 7.9% 18.8% 26.6% 21.5% 11.7% 6.1% 20.6% Live TV Shows Reruns/Previous Seasons of TV Shows Movies News Sports Clips Sporting Events TV Show Previews, Movie Previews CONNECTED DEVICES Do you have any of the following connected devices (Wi-Fi enabled devices)? (Choose all that apply.) 7.6% 2.4% 1.0% 3.9% 7.3% 7.0% 1.2% 10.3% 1.3% 11.3% Apple TV Amazon Fire TV Stick Boxee TV Google TV Google Chromecast Roku Streaming Player Roku Streaming Stick Smart TV TiVo Roamio/TiVo Roamio Plus Wi-Fi-enabled Blu-ray Player 59.5% watch content on ipads/tablets: +4% y/y On average per week, how often do you watch TV shows, movies, or video content on your ipad/tablet? 8.3% 8.4% 7% 15.5% 15.3% 14.1% 30.1% 30% 28.3% +2.4% q/q, +2.9% y/y 18.7% 19.2% 21.6% 10.6% 12.2% 11.7% 7% 6.4% 6.7% 3.5% 4.2% 4.8% 6.3% 4.3% 5.8% 62.3% None 2.4% Other Never Rarely >1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5+ Hours per Week 14
Connected Devices VIDEO TRENDS REPORT Gaming consoles are yet another device consumers leverage for video content. While growth seems to be static for the most part, the survey results showed an increase in respondents who purchased video content on their gaming devices. In, 23.5% of respondents purchased one or more pieces of content, which is a 7.6% y/y and 4.8% q/q increase. GAMING CONSOLES Do you own any of the following gaming stations? (Choose all that apply.) 26.0% 5.2% 22.2% 5.7% 21.8% 49.8% 2.9% Nintendo Wii Nintendo Wii U Sony PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 Sony PSP Xbox 360 None Other Digitalsmiths ANALYTICAL COMMENTARY It has been widely reported that consumption differs between age groups. Digitalsmiths wanted to understand if older generations are adopting similar usage patterns with TV-oriented, Wi-Fi enabled devices as younger generations (excludes ipad/tablets and smartphones). The Q4 2014 results confirmed this to be true. In, for those respondents age 50 and older, 19.0% claimed to be using a Wi-Fi-enabled device for consumption of video content. By, the same age group increased to 28.0 percent. One out of every four people, age 50 and older, now use a TV-oriented Wi-Fi-enabled device; this is up from one out of every five in 2013.* *This was found to be statistically significant via a Pearson s chi-squared test at 95.0% confidence. On average, how many movie/tv show purchases do you make each month from your gaming device? 84.1% 81.3% 76.5% 6.3% 6.3% 8.5% 3.3% 5.6% 5.3% 2.3% 2.3% 3.2% 1.3% 2.1% 2.5% 0.9% 0.8% 1.8% 0.5% 0.2% 0.5% 0.1% 0.3% 0.1% 0.3% 0.5% 0.5% 0% 0% 0.1% 0.9% 0.6% 1% 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+ Purchases 23.5% purchase 1 or more: +4.8% q/q, +7.6% y/y 15
VIDEO TRENDS REPORT TV Everywhere 2014 was a big year for TV Everywhere. Pay-TV providers spent a tremendous amount of money and resources to launch and/or improve these offerings to keep up with the rapidly changing market. According to survey results, 42.3% of respondents stated their Pay-TV provider offers a solution to watch video content on their smartphone and/or tablet. Digitalsmiths always believed even those providers first to launch still faced a significant awareness hurdle. The good news is this metric grew positively. There was a 6.6% decrease y/y in respondents who answered I do not know when asked if their provider offers a TV Everywhere app. In addition to awareness, another positive metric is an increase in overall adoption, with 25.2% of respondents saying they have their cable/satellite provider s app. This is a 3.6% y/y and 1.5% q/q increase, but are respondents using these offerings? Usage of TV Everywhere solutions also increased. Once downloaded, 47.9% of respondents are utilizing these services on a weekly basis, which is a 6.0% q/q and 5.6% y/y increase. In addition, respondents are using their TV Everywhere apps more frequently with 10.7% using it daily, a 2.2% q/q and 3.0% y/y increase. APP AWARENESS Does your cable/satellite provider offer an app(s) that allows you to watch TV/movies on devices such as a smartphone or an ipad/tablet? -6.6% y/y DON T KNOW 45.8% DON T KNOW 52.4% 42.3% NO 11.9% 36.3% NO 11.3% 16
TV Everywhere VIDEO TRENDS REPORT APP ON YOUR TABLET Do you have your cable/satellite service provider s app downloaded on your ipad/tablet or smartphone? If NO N/A 13.7% 15.0% 11.6% 25.2% 23.7% 21.6% 10.7% 8.5% 7.7% 4.6% 2.6% 2.6% 4.1% 5% 4.1% 4.6% 3.8% 3.3% 6.7% 5.6% 4.3% 7.7% 8.2% 8.3% 9.5% 8.2% 12% +1.5% q/q, +3.6% y/y 61.1% 61.3% 66.8% how often do you use your cable/satellite provider s app (days per week)? Days per Week 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +2.2% q/q, +3% y/y Digitalsmiths ANALYTICAL COMMENTARY Do satisfaction levels affect or correlate with TV Everywhere (TVE) application adoption and usage? The answer is yes on both accounts! For satisfied and very satisfied respondents, from to, the rate of TVE adoption rose by 5.0% (15.0% in to 20.0% in ).* Also, the rate of usage increased, as well. Using a Students t-test at 95.0% confidence, in, the average session use per week was 1.67 sessions. This rose to 2.23 sessions per week by. If we were to look at this on a monthly basis, respondents are using their TVE apps approximately 2 more sessions each month. *This was found to be statistically significant via a Pearson s chi-squared test at 95.0% confidence. <1 0 14.1% 14.6% 14.8 % 38% 43.5% 42.9% 17
VIDEO TRENDS REPORT Third-Party Apps: The Most Popular and Most Used It s no secret Pay-TV providers spend a tremendous amount of effort to offer superior, user-friendly TV Everywhere apps. Digitalsmiths continues to track third-party apps that focus on various aspects of video. Pay-TV providers should take note of which apps are most adopted and most used to ensure their own apps offer the same superior experiences as these third-party solutions. Digitalsmiths divides apps into three categories: Social TV Apps, TV Network Apps, and Content Discovery Apps. Social TV Apps Of respondents, 16.5% have downloaded one or more Social TV App(s), with Shazam being the most popular by far. While there was a minimal increase in adoption quarter-over-quarter (1.6%), Social TV Apps also saw a 3.8% growth y/y. Of respondents who downloaded Social TV Apps, usage is up in Q4 2014 with 56.3% using these apps weekly an increase of 6.0% q/q and 6.6% y/y. Do you have any of the following Social TV Apps downloaded on your ipad/tablet? (Choose all that apply.) 1.6% 1.5% 1.7% 11.5% 2.2% 0.8% 83.5% 0.7% BuddyTV tvtag Miso Shazam Viggle Beamly None Other Downloads Increased +1.6% q/q +3.8% y/y How often do you use these Social TV Apps? Days per Week 8.5% 7 8.1% 7.9% 5% 6 2.4% 4.5% 7.5% 5 4.9% 5.1% 6.5% 4 7% 5.8% 10.5% 3 8.9% 8.6% 6.3% 2 8.4% 7.2% 12% 1 10.6% 10.6% >1 0 7.9% 10.1% 6.8% Weekly Usage Increased +6% q/q, +6.6% y/y 35.8% 39.6% 43.5% 18
Third-Party Apps: The Most Popular and Most Used VIDEO TRENDS REPORT TV Network Apps Of the survey respondents, 32.4% downloaded one or more TV Network App(s), with ABC again being the most downloaded, followed by CBS, NBC, and HBO GO. Of the respondents who downloaded these app(s), 21.1% use them one to two days a week, and 11.6% use them daily. As a whole, weekly usage of TV Network Apps is up 4.4% q/q. Content Discovery Apps Only 9.1% of respondents downloaded one or more Content Discovery App(s), with TV Guide being the top application for the eighth quarter in a row. Once downloaded, these apps are used far more than Social TV and TV Network Apps: 83.8% use them at some point throughout the week, and 22.4% use them six to seven days a week. This category saw a significant hike in usage at 7.4% q/q and 13.4% y/y. Adoption of such apps, combined with the annual growth in usage, demonstrates consumers are seeking new tools to find something they want to watch. Do you have any of the following TV Network Apps downloaded on your tablet? (Choose all that apply.) 8.8% 3.2% 3.7% 4.0% 4.4% 6.0% 4.1% 4.2% 4.2% 4.6% 2.6% 4.7% 5.4% 2.2% 5.9% 2.7% 3.2% 2.2% 3.6% 4.9% 67.6% 4.0% ABC ABC Family A&E BBC CBC CBS Discovery Channel Disney FOX FOX News FOX Sports Hulu HBOGo MSNBC NBC NBC Sports Showtime The CW Turner (CNN, TNT, CN, TBS, etc.) WatchESPN None Other Do you have any of the following Content Discovery Apps downloaded on your tablet? (Choose all that apply.) 0.8% 1.0% 1.6% 2.0% 1.4% 1.2% 1.1% 1.1% 1.0% 0.5% 3.2% 90.9% 0.5% Are You Watching This?! Boxfish Clicker Connect TV Fanhattan i.tv LocateTV NextGuide Peel Thuuz TV Guide None Other How often do you use these TV Network Apps? Days per Week 11.6% 7 11.9% 6 3.4% 2.9% 5 6.3% 5.4% 4 5.6% 4.9% 8.4% 3 7.8% 2 9.7% 8.7% 11.4% 1 10.4% >1 6.1% 0 7.1% Weekly Usage Increased +4.4% q/q 37.5% 40.9% How often do you use these Content Discovery Apps? Days per Week 7 13.8% 14.6% 13.1% 6 8.6% 6% 4.5% 5 8.1% 7% 4.5% 11.4% 4 14.1% 11.4% Weekly 14.8% Usage 3 15.6% Increased 13.1% 11.4% +7.4% q/q, 2 9% 13.6% +13.4% y/y 1 15.7% 10.1% 10.2% >1 12.9% 21.6% 24.4% 0 3.3% 2% 5.2% 19
VIDEO TRENDS REPORT Content Discovery: Search, Recommendations, and More Based on Digitalsmiths customers alone, the majority of North American Pay-TV providers, content owners, and consumer electronics manufacturers spent 2014 testing and implementing content discovery solutions on apps, set-top boxes, Smart TVs and other devices. Are these efforts changing consumers perceptions of their Pay-TV services and improving the likelihood they will adopt features such as search, recommendations, mood, social, and sports discovery? In, 61.4% of respondents stated they are always or sometimes frustrated when trying to find something to watch. While we cannot directly correlate the content discovery efforts to a decrease in frustration levels, it is interesting there was a 3.0% q/q and a 4.5% y/y decrease in respondents who are always or sometimes frustrated when trying to find something to watch. Additionally, 68.3% of respondents said they are always or sometimes frustrated when trying to find something to watch for the group. In this case, frustration levels are also down 2.6% q/q and 3.4% y/y. Again, with so much money and resources spent on improving the experience, this is positive news that frustration levels are decreasing. While drops in frustration levels is positive for Pay-TV providers, there is still work to be done since over half of individuals and groups still get frustrated. FINDING SOMETHING TO WATCH How often do you get frustrated when trying to find something to watch on TV? 9.8% 10.2% 10.4% ALWAYS Do you ever have trouble finding something to watch that multiple members of your household will enjoy? 10.9% 10.1% 11.5% ALWAYS -3% q/q, -4.5% y/y -2.6% q/q, -3.4% y/y SOMETIMES SOMETIMES 51.6% 54.2% 55.5% 57.4% 60.8% 60.2% 26.7% 23.4% 24.6% 11.9% 12.2% 9.5% NEVER N/A 29.1% 26.9% 27% 2.6% 2.2% 1.3% NEVER N/A 20
Content Discovery: Search, Recommendations, and More VIDEO TRENDS REPORT Recommendations Another positive metric is 22.0% of respondents stated their cable/satellite provider offers recommendations; this is a 2.8% q/q and 4.9% y/y increase. Of the respondents who receive recommendations today, 92.7% said they are always accurate or sometimes accurate. This means overall approval of the recommendations is at an acceptable level and actually increased 3.2% q/q and 1.5% y/y. Diving deeper, of the two answers, always accurate increased most at 3.0% q/q and 3.7% y/y. RECOMMENDATIONS Does your cable/satellite provider make recommendations of TV shows and movies to you based on your interests, past viewing habits, etc. (personalized to you)? +2.8% q/q +4.9% y/y 22% 19.2% Digitalsmiths ANALYTICAL COMMENTARY 17.1% Digitalsmiths Q1 2014 survey results found personalized recommendations correlated with higher rates of overall satisfaction. In fact, for those who had personalized recommendations as part of their services, their rate of satisfaction was 15% higher than those without. With the report, Digitalsmiths wanted to dig deeper to see what other patterns are emerging with respondents who receive personalized recommendations. The question asked was: for those with personalized recommendations, are they not only more satisfied, but are they also reporting content is easier to find? Digitalsmiths confirms content is easier to find! In, of those who had access to personalized recommendations, 67.0% claimed it was difficult to find content. In, this dropped to 40.0%.* Digitalsmiths then went one step further to see if this dramatic change (a 27.0% improvement in being able to find content more easily) is outperforming the change associated with the respondents who do not have access to personalized recommendations. One might reasonably expect people are becoming savvier at finding content. Indeed, Digitalsmiths found people without personalized recommendations are finding it easier to find content, at a rate that increased by 14.0% from 2013 to 2014. However, those with personalized recommendations are doing so at a much faster pace. If do you feel the recommendations are accurate/relevant? +3% q/q +3.7% y/y 15.1% 12.1% 11.4% 77.6% 77.4% 79.8% 7.3% 10.5% 8.8% ALWAYS SOMETIMES NEVER *This was found to be statistically significant via a Pearson s chi-squared test at 95.0% confidence. 21
Content Discovery: Search, Recommendations, and More VIDEO TRENDS REPORT Search Forty-six percent of respondents use the search functionality offered by their cable/satellite provider, a nearly 2% increase y/y. The accuracy of search results also seems to remain consistent, with 84.9% of respondents answering yes the search results are accurate. But why is adoption of search functionality not more widely spread? The reasons vary, but two notable responses include: Of the respondents who said they do not use the search functionality, 20.8% answered, I do not know how to use the search feature. While this response dropped y/y, it did increase 3.9% q/q. Another notable audience is the 17.1% who answered, takes too much time. Similar to other content discovery features discussed in this report, search is an area where video service providers need to focus some attention on educating their viewers and/or improving the overall experience by making these features easier to find in the user interface or on the remote control. SEARCH Do you ever type in a TV show, movie title, or topic into a search box to find something to watch in your cable/satellite guide? +1.8% y/y If 46.4% 52.9% 44.6% 0.7% 0.7% do you feel the search results are accurate? 54.7% NO 84.9% 15.1% NO N/A If NO why don t you use the search functionality offered to you? (Choose all that apply.) Search is not offered by my cable/satellite provider I do not know how to use the search feature 18% 20.3% 21.2% 20.8% 16.9% 22.2% +3.9% q/q I am not interested in searching for TV Shows/Movies Takes too much time I only watch a few channels, so no need to search 17.1% 18.2% 14.3% 25.9% 25.2% 22.9% 32.5% 35% 32.3% Other 5.1% 5.5% 4.5% 22
Content Discovery: Search, Recommendations, and More VIDEO TRENDS REPORT Mood Discovery Mood Discovery provides consumers the flexibility to easily find something to watch based on the mood of the video content for example, whether it is amusing, dark or witty and/or from the 80 s. Furthermore, consumers could find something to watch that fits categories such as Hilarious Underdogs, Inspiring Transformations, or Dark Revenge. Nearly 49% of respondents answered they desire the ability to find something to watch based on a mood. Surprisingly, this feature did see a decrease of 6.4% y/y, but only 0.4% q/q. Again, mood is a nice to have feature, but the survey results prove search and recommendations are more desirable to consumers. Social Discovery While social media and trending news are hot topics today, are consumers leveraging these as a means of discovering video content? In, 13.7% of respondents said they post about what they are watching on social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, etc. In addition, 28.9% choose to watch a TV show or movie because of the buzz it is getting on social networks. Growth for both of these categories is very minimal q/q and y/y. It is evident, however, social buzz is important because clearly a good portion of the audience is influenced by the popular discussion about a TV show or movie. MOOD DISCOVERY Would you like the ability to find something to watch based on the mood you re in? SOCIAL BUZZ Do you post about what you re watching on social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, etc.? 13.7% Do you ever choose to watch a TV show or movie because of all the buzz it s getting on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks? -0.4% q/q -6.4% y/y 48.8% 49.2% 55.2% 13.5% 14% NO 43.5% 43.1% 38.7% I do not have cable/satellite service, and this feature WOULD NOT persuade me into adding cable/satellite service again 5% 5.8% 4.3% 28.9% I do not have cable/satellite service, but this feature WOULD persuade me into adding cable/satellite service again 2.7% 1.9% 1.8% 28.1% 28.7% 23
Content Discovery: Search, Recommendations, and More VIDEO TRENDS REPORT Sports Discovery Sports programming is one of the most popular categories of video content viewed today, and it is also one of the most expensive assets for video service providers. Also, due to the nature of metadata such as real-time scores, team stats, schedules, playoffs, it can be challenging to develop discovery methods for this content. In, 32.5% of respondents said they always or sometimes have trouble finding their favorite sports teams or events. Digitalsmiths believes one best practice to improve the discovery of sports content is to alter the order of search results when sporting events are entered. This technique will ensure when a viewer searches for his/ her favorite sports teams, the current or next available game will display first. For example, if a viewer does a search for Syracuse Orange, the first result should be the next game Syracuse is playing. SPORTS Do you have trouble finding your favorite sports teams games, or do you ever miss sporting events because it s on a channel that is far down in your channel guide? 3.8% 28.7% 51.8% ALWAYS SOMETIMES NEVER Click here to learn more about Digitalsmiths Seamless Discovery and Seamless Insight platforms. 15.7% N/A About Digitalsmiths Digitalsmiths, a wholly-owned subsidiary of TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), provides industry-leading solutions in the area of personalized content discovery for video service providers, content providers and consumer electronics manufacturers. Digitalsmiths Seamless Discovery enables personalized search, recommendations, social discovery, mood discovery, sports discovery, and a business console that instantly connects consumers to the most relevant movies, TV shows and live events, on any screen. Digitalsmiths Seamless Insight delivers the reporting and analytics necessary to optimize content discovery, deliver targeted content promotions, monitor and improve customer engagement and increase ARPU. The company is guided by the belief that consumers should not have to work to find relevant content the content should find them. Digitalsmiths serves customers across all media channels and devices including AT&T, Bright House Networks, Charter, DISH Network, DIRECTV, Foxtel, FOX Sports, NASCAR, Sharp Electronics, Time Warner Cable, Turner Sports and Verizon. To learn more visit www.digitalsmiths.com Digitalsmiths, 2015, All rights reserved. 24