NCTA commissioned a new poll from Morning Consult which revealed many more Americans are watching TV on devices other than a television. The poll asked key questions on programming preferences, device usage, and the importance of watching live TV.
36 percent of poll respondents say they have never used a device to watch TV other than a television, leaving a full 61 percent who say they use a device like a computer, tablet, or smartphone to watch TV at least once a month. We’re pleased to see so many people taking advantage of non-traditional TV devices. It’s a sign that TV Everywhere efforts are taking effect, especially in light of the fact that 46 percent of respondents say they’ve watched TV on an app.
When asked which programming type is most important to watch live (as opposed to recorded or on-demand) respondents somewhat surprisingly say news is the most important at 54 percent. Considering the myriad ways consumers can get news such as blogs, newspapers (both print and online), and social media, we expected sports to be number one. In fact, sports come in at a distant second with 24 percent of respondents saying it’s the most important programming type to watch live.
We’re pleased (though not surprised) to report that 85 percent of respondents say their wired internet service delivers enough speed and capacity to stream, download, and take full advantage of the services available on the internet. It’s worth noting that Netflix reports 5 Mbps broadband is enough to stream HD programming and that June Ookla tests indicate U.S. broadband speeds averaged over 50 Mbps. This all to say that the majority of Americans (and more every day) have access to ample broadband for streaming TV, movies, or doing just about anything else they want online.
34 percent of respondents say they’ve watched Netflix on a mobile device in the last year, more than any other app on a mobile device. YouTube was a close second with 32 percent. These numbers shouldn’t be surprising as Netflix is the most subscribed-to streaming service in America and YouTube is, in many ways, better tailored for viewing on mobile devices than on TVs.
The Morning Consult poll was given to 2001 registered voters on August 16th and 17th 2016. Of the respondents, 41 percent were under the age of 44, 66 percent had a college education or greater, and 58 percent report having an income under $50,000 per year.