Digital is Overtaking TV for the US Viewing Audience as Smartphones and Tablets Garner Nearly 50 percent of Viewership

In a trend that should interest everyone involved in mobile, a new study by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) shows that Americans are increasingly embracing original digital video.

The report, “2014 Original Digital Video Study”, shows that viewers of original digital programming prefer that type of content to news, sports and daytime programming on television, and like it almost as much as they do primetime TV. It also revealed that over one in five (22%) American adults watch original digital video each month, bringing the audience to 52 million per month. This represents a 15 percent increase from 45 million per month as revealed in a similar report in 2013.

Flexibility of viewing is cited as the top driver for watching “made for digital” content (41%) and is considered a key reason for logging onto digital rather than tuning into traditional television shows. The ability to watch “anytime, anywhere” is also reflected by a sharp increase in the mobile viewing of original digital video. 

Smartphones (46%) and tablets (41%) are now being used to view this sort of programming at levels almost twice those of a year ago. In addition, nearly half (48%) use internet-connected TVs to watch original digital video, creating a similar viewing environment to TV, also nearly double the rate in 2013.

- More than half of monthly original digital video users report their viewing of the medium is unplanned, compared with only about one quarter of those that watch TV online and regular primetime television viewers.

- Across television dayparts and categories, there has been a significant decline in planned viewing with patterns becoming more similar to how consumers approach original digital viewing.

- Social media sites are playing a larger role in the discovery of original digital programming.

- Original digital video viewers conduct more social media activities related to the shows they watch online (52%) than they do for primetime TV (38%).

The complete report is available here.