• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, May 7, 2018

The type of content that consumers stream -- and the platforms they use -- continue to evolve.

For example, there was a time in the not-too-distant past when most people would save local news viewing for their living rooms. 

Now, 51% of video streamers report watching local news, according to new research from Nielsen. 

In addition, 51% report using an app on a mobile device to access local news, while in the past month alone, 43% report using an app to access local or Web radio.

Specifically, 40% of U.S. respondents completely or somewhat agree that it’s important to use social media sites for local information.

That, of course, is encouraging for social giants like Facebook, and ongoing efforts to expand local information coverage, along with neighborhood-based social networks like Nextdoor. 

More broadly, more than 65 million U.S. homes (of about 59%) owned a device capable of streaming content to their TV as of last November.

Such access still varies by market, and while greater concentrations still exist in urban areas, midsize markets are showing more growth. For instance, San Diego is currently winning the over-the-top (OTT) race, with 71% of homes having access to an enabled streaming device.

When looking at TV streaming frequency among domestic streaming device users ages 25-54, the average user streamed content 12 days in November last year. On average, they streamed for two hours and 28 minutes per day, Nielsen found.

Not surprisingly, streaming devices are still attracting a young, affluent audience. For example, homes where the head of house was less than 35 years old were 34% more likely to have a streaming device than the average home.

As of late last year, homes with streaming devices were 32% more likely to have children, and 17% more likely to include people who have a college degree.