"Digital Enthusiasts" Redefining What It Means to Watch TV

TV Viewing

Today’s TV viewers want choices. Just like today’s consumers demand customized experiences when it comes to how they get their news, spend their money, or interact with others, we expect to be able to watch our favorite shows or news programs in the medium that we choose, depending on the time of day, our moods, or current location.

The results of a new study on TV viewing by GfK MRI, a global research company that specializes in market and consumer data, speak to a lot of these behaviors. This is the first of four studies in a series called “TV Share of Clock” launched by GfK, which examine trends in TV consumption.

The study found that while the majority of viewers still prefer to watch TV the traditional way, 28 percent of all TV viewing is now done through digital streaming. And according to a GfK press release, 41 percent of people who watch TV–a group that GfK has labeled as “Digital Enthusiasts”–also subscribe to at least three digital TV services online while maintaining a traditional paid TV subscription. Mobile TV watching on smartphones and tablets account for 8 percent of TV viewing, the survey revealed.

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Sounds a lot like your average millennial, whipping out her smartphone on the way to work to watch breaking news of the morning, but later that night, choosing to watch Aquarius on the big screen at a friend’s house.