When I was in broadcast television for a living, we used to talk about the “lean back” vs. the “lean forward” experience. The assumption that we made was that sports viewers in particular and TV couch potatoes in general were definitely of the former ilk. TV was for relaxing and not something one did actively (other than flipping through the remote, of course).
That thought came to mind, and that it might be wrong, as I read the new study from Morpace about video usage. It may especially be true among younger folks, which in general signals the trend. But here’s the info and let’s think about it.
As eMarketer noted, three in five US consumers watch at least some video on a device other than a television. And while 64% of folks my age or older (55+, thank you very much) watch their TV live, that number drops to 41% in the 18-34 group. So here are a couple of thoughts:
- Programmers have lost control. There used to be a great art to programming, counter-programming, time-periods, the “flow” of an evening, etc. Seems irrelevant now.
- Is it possible that the whole TV viewing experience will one day be VOD? What if networks “released” shows in their broadcast windows, made them available for a limited time (an evening, a day), then pulled them back for a week (sort of the Hulu model but totally VOD)?
- I’d be curious to see these numbers for breaking news and sports content.
- What will Google and Apple do to these numbers? They both can be game-changers as they have been elsewhere.
- Has video become a lean-forward experience and, if so, what does that do to segment the audience further (the active viewer vs. the passive)?
- Finally, what does this do to the TV business model? Will movie companies spend big bucks on Thursday night when those shows (and commercials) aren’t watched until after the opening weekend has passed? How will one-day sale ads be impacted?
I DVR shows but it’s more to remedy conflicts than a way of life. My daughters seem to be their own programmers – everything is DVD, DVR, Netflix, or online. The exceptions are awards shows (and Michigan football, of course). In a single generation, the whole notion of TV programming has changed. And it’s not done yet.
Thoughts?
Consult Keith 