New data released from Virgin Media shows an increasing reliance on timeshifted television.
Using data from its 2.3 million TiVo set-top boxes, the cablenet says a fifth of all TV is now watched in a time-shifted format; either first recorded onto the hard drive of a set-top box or else watched on demand.
Almost half (43%) of people mostly watch time-shifted TV, with 20% tuning in to live TV only for must-see moments. Just 30% predominantly watch live TV.
The growth in popularity of timeshifted TV has being driven by an increase in series stacking and the availability of ‘boxed sets’ available on demand, often giving viewers the opportunity to watch previous seasons of a current show.
Virgin saus recorded TV series and one-off shows are typically watched within 14 days after having been broadcast, while movies are often kept for longer and enjoyed on a weekend.
Over a third (34%) of people are using second screens while watching TV. 78% of these multi-taskers are typically checking and updating social media sites.
Social media is also a deciding factor in what viewers watch. Online buzz around season premieres of popular shows like The Great British Bake Off and Dynamo encourage viewers to set the entire season to record.
