According to the results of The Harris Poll of 2,300 U.S. adults, while 77% of U.S. adults say they regularly watch television shows via either cable or satellite TV, 43% say they regularly watch via streaming, including 67% of Millennials. The percentage of Americans saying they most often watch TV on a live feed, recorded or on demand, without streaming, is down from 89% in 2012. Streaming, meanwhile, is up from 20% in 2012 to 23% today.
Regularly Watch Television Shows (Base: All U.S. adults) | |||||
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| Generation | |||
Watch TV | Total | Millennials | Gen X | Boomers | Matures |
Cable/Satellite (real time) (net) | 77% | 62% | 76% | 85% | 89% |
Cable TV provider (in real time as the program is aired) | 55 | 46 | 50 | 61 | 69 |
Satellite TV provider (in real time as the program is aired) | 23 | 19 | 27 | 25 | 22 |
Streaming [NET] | 43 | 67 | 44 | 32 | 14 |
Streaming via websites (net) | 33 | 55 | 33 | 22 | 9 |
Streaming via apps (net) | 24 | 39 | 23 | 16 | 8 |
Streaming via non-network-affiliated websites/apps (net) | 28 | 49 | 28 | 19 | 9 |
Streaming via network-owned websites/apps (net) | 28 | 44 | 32 | 19 | 7 |
By purchasing or renting episodes or seasons through a video on demand service | 7 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 3 |
Tivo, DVR or other recording device | 37 | 33 | 40 | 39 | 34 |
On-demand content through cable or satellite provider | 27 | 25 | 32 | 27 | 25 |
By purchasing, renting or borrowing episodes or seasons on DVD | 19 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 8 |
Over the air using an antenna (Broadcast TV) | 14 | 12 | 21 | 13 | 8 |
Source: HarrisInteractive, June 2014 Multiple responses OK |
23% of Americans say they're watching more online/streaming television programming now than they were a year ago, while 37% say their online/streaming viewership is no different than last year and 7% say they're watching less this way now than a year ago. Looking ahead, 18% expect to be watching more online/streaming television programming a year from now while 4% expect to be watching less and 50% don't anticipate a change.
Online/Streaming Viewership Vs. A Year Ago (Base: All U.S. adults) | ||||||
| Generation | |||||
Watching | Total 2012 | Total 2014 | Millennials | GenX | Boomers | Matures |
I am watching more online or streaming television programming now than I was a year ago | 20% | 23% | 37% | 25% | 15% | 10% |
No different | 39 | 37 | 36 | 44 | 37 | 27 |
I am watching less online or streaming television programming than I was a year ago | 9 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 6 |
Not applicable - I do not watch any television programming online | 32 | 33 | 16 | 25 | 43 | 56 |
Source: HarrisInteractive, June 2014 Multiple responses OK |
Both premium cable networks and streaming services are hard at work trying to make themselves indispensable through exclusive content, but how much is this impacting consumer behaviors? Nearly four in ten Americans (38%) say they've subscribed to premium cable channels in order to watch specific shows, while one-fourth (24%) have subscribed to one or more streaming services for the same reason.
Looking specifically at streaming TV's likely "core" constituents, 50% of those who list streaming among their top go-to's for television shows say they've subscribed to streaming services for access to specific shows. Additionaly:
Among those who regularly watch television shows via streaming, 74% use a computer to do so, while 55% use a television (whether via a set-top box, a game system or a television with integrated online capabilities).
Distracted viewing continues to be the norm, with nearly eight in ten U.S. adults (78%) saying they're ever doing other things while watching TV. More specifically, more than six in ten (63%) engage in online activities; over one-third (35%) text, three in ten (30%) read a book, magazine or newspaper, and 7% read a book on an electronic reading device. 22% say they do other things.
Other Activities While Watching TV Base: All U.S. adults | ||||||||
| Generation | Most often watch TV shows | ||||||
Activity | 2013 | 2014 | Millennials | GenX | Boomers | Matures | On TV, non-streaming | Via streaming |
Doing any other things (net) | 81% | 78% | 85% | 78% | 75% | 73% | 80% | 83% |
Online (sub-net) | 65 | 63 | 76 | 69 | 58 | 38 | 64 | 74 |
Surf the Internet using a computer | 51 | 40 | 47 | 49 | 36 | 25 | 41 | 51 |
Go on a social networking site | 35 | 34 | 49 | 40 | 25 | 16 | 33 | 46 |
Shop online | 27 | 26 | 34 | 28 | 24 | 11 | 27 | 35 |
Surf the Internet using my mobile phone (among smartphone owners 38%) | 21 | 23 | 42 | 28 | 11 | 2 | 22 | 37 |
Surf the Internet on a tablet (among tablet owners 41%) | 15 | 19 | 24 | 18 | 19 | 10 | 20 | 24 |
Text | 35 | 35 | 58 | 41 | 22 | 12 | 35 | 51 |
Read a book, magazine or newspaper | 37 | 30 | 25 | 28 | 31 | 44 | 32 | 27 |
Read a book on an eReader | 11 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 5 |
Something else | 25 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 21 | 27 | 23 | 23 |
None | 17 | 19 | 11 | 19 | 24 | 25 | 19 | 17 |
Source: HarrisInteractive, June 2014 Multiple responses OK |
For additional information from HarrisInteractive, please visit here.