Pandemic Turns Morning Into Prime Time, Digital Device Usage Soars
- by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, April 30, 2020
It's morning again in America, especially if you're on a digitally-connected device. An analysis of the first three weeks of the U.S. shutdown by Tapad shows that the 6 a.m.- 2 p.m. time period has become the new prime-time as many Americans turn to their digital devices -- computers, tablets, smartphones and connected TVs (CTV) -- for work, school, or other activities they would otherwise be doing out of their homes.
The data shows an especially strong spike in CTV and tablet usage, suggesting that at least part of the daytime surge in device usage is more for entertainment than for work or education activities. The same thing is probably true for a 40% surge in connected TV usage during the wee hours of 10pm to 6am.
"CTV soars during quarantines as content consumption times become more fluid throughout day and evening," Tapad notes in "Everyone's Gone Remote," a report that also provides detailed data on device and time period usage changes in other major markets worldwide -- in the case of Asia Pacific, going back to February.
The youth market, which constantly gets replenished, innately pursues out-of-home entertainment and moviegoing is a relative good value in out-of-home. Winner: Cinemas. For decades, live sports events have been on TV, yet in-stadium attendance flourishes. Mind you, TV sports is simultaneous with in-stadium event--there's no a hold-back like movies to cinema-to-VOD. It's day-and-date. Winner: Cinemas.
As we see so often, the percent change finding--a relative indicator---- is turned into an absolute. So when the percent change is highest for the "morning" hours---which are usually the lowest in activity---except, perhaps for smartphones---the claim is made that "mornings" have become the new "prime time". Not likely if the actual amount of usage in each of the three rather oddly defined dayparts was provided.