The United States of Binge
70% of Americans now binge-watch TV, at an average of five episodes per session, according to a US survey.
- Published by David Knox
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A US survey has found 70% of Americans now binge-watch TV shows, at an average of five episodes per session.
Deloitte’s 10th annual “Digital Democracy Survey” polled 2,205 U.S. consumers online from Nov. 5-19, 2015.
About 31% of those surveyed said they binge TV shows on a weekly basis, and 36% of those aged 19-25 say they binge weekly. TV dramas remain the most popular genre among bingers: 53% said they most often binge-watch television dramas, followed by comedy at 17% and reality TV at 7%.
Asked to name the three media devices they value most, the results ranked smartphones (mentioned by 76%), laptop computers (69%), desktop computers (57%) and a flat panel television (54% -down from 62% in 2014).
About a third of all viewers — as well as about half of Millennials, those born between 1983 and 2001 — watch TV shows and movies on a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
92% say they multitask while viewing, up from 81% in 2012. Most popular diversions include web surfing, chatting on social networks, reading emails, texting, online shopping, and playing video games.
About 46% of Americans now subscribe to streaming video services, and consumers 14-25 now spend more time watching online-video services than Live TV.
Streaming video services rocketed to 61%, from 17% in 2012. They also now outrank Pay TV among those 25 and younger in a home that receives a streaming service.
The top reasons people who like them offer: they allow them to watch when they want, without commercials, and wherever they want.
5 Responses
Fairly obvious why viewers are complaining about being unable to follow simple plots and characters if they are bingeing on 5 eps at a time while multitasking.
The Golden Age of drama is over.
The sampling is skewed since it was conducted online but the results are still indicative of the change that is occurring with people’s viewing habits.
I wouldn’t watch anything on a phone and certainly not while I was walking down a street unaware of my surroundings. TV for programs that I know will start close to their advertised time, desktop or laptop hooked up to TV for everything else.
The last sentence says it all. Plus for me – I need to binge, since I forget what happened last week and who is who or did what to whomever.
I suspect the question “name the three media devices they value most” would get a different number if it was asked “Which do you most prefer to watch?”
I can’t imagine watching TV or movies on a tiny phone. The bigger the better for me.