The majority of American adults now own a streaming-enabled television, reports the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), marking a fundamental shift in the way that viewers consume content in their living rooms.
The finding is part of a new study titled The Changing TV Experience: 2017 that the IAB released in conjunction with its Digital Content NewFronts events. The report — which defines a streaming-enabled TV as either a smart TV set or a screen connected to a set-top box — also found that 56% more Americans own streaming-enabled TVs than they did in 2015. And 54% of viewers spend the majority of their time on TV watching something other than linear programming — including digital video, which comprises 20% of overall viewership.
“Streaming-enabled TVs have changed the way Americans watch television,” said Chris Kuist, SVP of research and impact at the IAB. “Streamed content from a myriad of sources — traditional TV networks or newer digital-only studios — is attracting people’s time and attention on the biggest screen in the home.”
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When streaming video on their televisions, half of viewers surveyed said that they prefer to watch commercials over paying subscription fees, the IAB found. And in terms of a multitasking on a second screen, the IAB reports that this phenomenon occurs less frequently when viewers are watching digital video as opposed to traditional TV.
You can check out the IAB’sChanging TV Experience: 2017 report — which it created via an online survey in March alongside global intelligence firm Maru/Matchbox — in full right here.
