• PLUS7 was the most popular commercial FTA service with 62% of respondents
Yahoo7 has released new research delving into the evolving TV viewing habits of Australians, revealing almost one in four (24%) are now regularly watching their favourite programs across a host of different devices – up seven percent since 2013.
The annual *Yahoo7 Companion TV Survey, which polled over one thousand online Australians, shows the 16-34 age bracket is driving the multidevice viewing trend, with one in two (52%) regularly watching TV shows across laptop, tablet, smartphone and game consoles – a 17 percent leap since 2013.
One major factor in this uptake is the flexibility offered by mobile devices. TV still dominates in the living room, but mobile devices are providing users with more options around the rest of the house. Viewing on-the-go has also become a major trend, with 53 percent of respondents regularly using their smartphones and tablets for this purpose while commuting.
Caroline Casey, director of product and audience at Yahoo7, said, “We are committed to delivering the best in digital viewing experiences for users when, where and how they want. The survey results give us a deeper insight into audience viewing habits when watching and interacting with TV, enabling us to provide the best user experience possible.
“The findings mirror real-life results we saw during The Australian Open via our 7Sport app. Viewers are craving services that offer them coverage whenever they want and wherever they are. Therefore, we are constantly striving to make our online video streaming service PLUS7 the ultimate companion for TV viewing, enabling us to sustain, build and engage our audiences with the programs they love.”
The research also reveals that Aussies are using mobile devices in conjunction with TV viewing to gain more information on what they are watching. Facts on the program – including storylines, actors and statistics – are the most searched for (74%), while almost three in 10 (28%) seek pictures of celebrities and actors. A quarter of respondents like to stay up to date with the latest gossip behind the stars while watching TV.
Additional findings from the Yahoo7 Companion TV Survey include:
• 16-34-year-olds are viewing content across a number of devices including: 45% regularly on laptop / PC (up from 30%)
• 12% on tablet (up from 7%)
• 10% on mobile (up from 6%)
• 8% on gaming console (up from 3%)
• PLUS7 was the most popular commercial FTA service with 62% of respondents
using the service to catch up on their favourite TV shows.
• 7 in 10 watch TV with their mobile by their side, while 57% have their laptop on-hand
and 44% have their tablet.
• 65% of respondents said being able to watch TV shows when they wanted was really
important, while the same number said they liked being able to watch episodes of their favourite shows back to back.
*Source: Yahoo7 Companion TV Survey conducted by an external panel provider using a national sample that was representative of the Australian television viewing public, across age, gender, location. Audience: All Respondents, n = 1,217.