How On-Demand Content Has Changed the Way We Watch Television

Video On Demand

Cable operators still dominate when it comes to video-on-demand viewing, according to a new report from the Video Advertising Bureau. In a time when more alternative viewing platforms are available to us than ever before, The State of MVPD’s Video-on-Demand 2016 Report, which uses stats reported by Nielsen, found that 54 percent of VOD viewership came from cable service providers. Online services and satellite followed with 35 and 30 percent of viewership, and “other” platforms came in at 2 percent.
vab-stat1

VOD usage actually proved to be very high across all generations of consumers who subscribe to cable and / or satellite services, with millennials and Gen Z leading the pack. More people in each generation category reported using cable or satellite paid services than other platforms to watch VOD programming.

vab-stat2

The report also delved into the reasons for why more people are watching VOD than ever before. Of all the survey participants, 81 percent said convenience was a huge factor. Binge watching came in second, with 73 percent who said they like to catch up on multiple episodes at one time. And of those who use it, 70 percent are watching either every day or a few times a week.

In just two years, VOD consumption over multi-video player devices is up 10 percent, with people averaging 10 hours of viewing per month. As pay TV providers continue to build robust libraries of recently aired programming content for viewers to watch at a time and place of their convenience, and as it becomes easier for us to find our favorite shows and titles, the more engaged and committed viewing audiences will become to the rich content that draws them there in the first place.

These numbers are a good indication of where our viewing habits are headed. We’ve written a lot about the dramatic change that’s come in recent years in how we watch television, and it looks like video-on-demand usage is only going to continue to lead this transformation.