With viewing time for such platforms increasing among consumers, free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) is helping drive a habitual shift in media behaviour and consumption from wired cable and satellite to a more digital mindset says research from Inscape (Source: RAPID TV NEWS)
The provider of ACR data from VIZIO smart TVs Inscape has tracked trends in streaming over the last few years. In fact, by early 2022, streaming had displaced cable/satellite as the most-viewed TV source by US households. In the quarters since, it has steadily grown its share of viewing time and there are no signs of a slowdown.
The new study concluded that the consumer shift in streaming was here to stay and the media industry should expect this trend to continue to accelerate. Indeed, A rise in availability and consumer usage of streaming apps and FAST services has made streaming the new normal in media consumption. This is also said to have been underpinned by the continued penetration of smart TVs themselves.
The report found that FASTs, which offer a free, easy entry experience across a wide variety of curated programming, continue to gain popularity among consumers. FAST viewing time increased by 70% from Q2 2023 compared to Q2 2022.
Looking at second quarter periods over the past three years, the study showed streaming has captured 9.7% of viewing share from cable/satellite for US TV households. As a result, according to Inscape’s panel that projects out viewing percentages to the US, streaming’s share of viewing has increased from 44.1% to 53.8% in Q2 since 2021. Meanwhile, the study found cable/satellite’s share has fallen from 46.9% to 37.1% while gaming and OTA viewing share has remained relatively consistent during this time.
Inscape noted that as the viewing landscape continues to shift, marketers, measurement providers and media owners alike need to understand where and how consumers are connecting in order to create and implement the best strategies to reach them and drive optimal business outcomes.