Binge viewing isn’t just the biggest buzzword in the video business. It’s the real deal. But not all consumers know they’re doing it.
About 63% of TV viewers are binge viewers,
according to a study of consumer viewing behavior among U.S TV viewers
18 and older, conducted by Annalect, an analytics and data division of Omnicom Media Group. That means they watch three or more episodes of the same TV show in one sitting. However, many of those
consumers don’t “self-identify” as such. Even though their habits fit the definition, only 43% described themselves that way.
“This is likely because they think that it
takes watching more than three episodes of a single TV show in one sitting to be a binge viewer,” Annelect said. When told they were watching in a binge-viewing style, about half said they liked
being a binge viewer and 55% will continue to watch this way. Overall, about 55% of TV viewers were familiar with the term.
Annalect’s research provides interesting insight into the
minds of viewers who are taking part in this increasingly popular way to watch TV shows. When asked how to describe binge-viewing, common answers were “excessive/constant/continuous/a lot of TV
watching for long periods of time” or “watching multiple episodes/seasons/movies in order/back to back.”
Binge viewing is becoming an important source of discovery for shows.
About 52% of viewers said it introduced them to new shows, while 50% said they’ve become hooked on a show after binge-watching a few episodes. Also, about 40% said they found shows from a
streaming service and then began watching new episodes on air, indicating that services like Netflix are delivering new viewers to broadcast TV shows.
Binge-viewing habits skew slightly female
and younger. Binge viewers are 67% more likely to be female, and 80% more likely to be Millennials, according to the study.