In a new report titled Optimizing the Smart TV Experience, Parks Associates shares insights about how households across the country are watching content. The study shows that more than 50% of US broadband households own at least one smart TV, making the smart TV the primary platform consuming content at a time when viewing has significantly increased.
“The smart TV continues to improve its perceived value across a variety of key features and technologies,” said Steve Nason, Research Director, Parks Associates. “Smart TVs are steadily improving their scores in ease of navigation and ability to find content or discover new apps, supplanting other video devices in the house to become the main source for video content. Enhancements such as an improved UX come at an important market inflection point, where consumers are watching more video at home while also cutting the cord on pay TV, leaving them to search for content on their own, across multiple services.”
From Q1 2019 to Q1 2020, Parks Associates says that over six million broadband households cut the cord and have chosen to use OTT services and antennas to watch TV. The pandemic has caused a huge increase in video consumption, with households watching an average of over 20 hours of content each week. That’s a 40% increase from 2017.
“We’ve seen broadcasters incorporate smart TVs and connected devices more and more into their app strategy, and those that have are seeing a huge uptick in overall consumption and user engagement,” said Jonathan Laor, Co-founder and CEO, Applicaster. “Over the past few months we’ve also seen end users going to their mobile devices for subscribing to new services, and a dramatic increase in their consumption on TVs, making TVs the new champions of viewer retention.”
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