Must See TV is encouraging viewers to plan their evenings around the linear TV schedule, despite the apparent availability and convenience of on demand content.
New data from Carat says 35% of people are now actively planning their evenings around the TV schedule, some five million more than four years ago, the point at which the media buyer says on demand began to take off.
Carat’s research tool CCS shows that 57% of people are using a second screen while watching linear TV, and that 33% are commenting on Facebook or Twitter about what they’re watching during the show.
It is also changing how viewers are planning their TV viewing. Some 20% of people say that their friends and family have had a big influence on their TV viewing – compared to only 5% in 2010.
Steven Ballinger, Head of Media Investment – Amplifi @ Carat, said: “TV on Command is all about the reinvention of the water cooler moment – the “real time water cooler moment”. The mix of Appointment to View (APT) programming and social media means that people are moving from passive to active viewing. Being part of the conversation during the latest battle in Game of Thrones or a terrible audition in Britain’s Got Talent with friends and strangers hugely enhances the experience for the consumer.
“This drives huge opportunities for advertisers. It turns their advertising from a monologue to a dialogue. Using second screen apps such as AdSync or Shazam, which allows the user to access more content, creates more dwell time for consumers with the brand. It also helps to drive the consumer closer to the point of purchase. Something advertisers have been trying for a while with more traditional TV advertising methods.”
Lucy Moore, Associate Director, Carat said: “In a world of media convergence CCS allows us to understand the inter-relationships between consumers and the different media they use, ensure the consumer is always at the heart of the eco-systems we create.
CCS has a sample base of 11,000 British consumers.
