Mobile internet will account for over a quarter (26%) of global media consumption in 2019, up from 19% last year.
According to the third annual edition of Zenith’s Media Consumption Forecasts, which surveys changing patterns of media consumption in 71 countries around the world, by 2019 people will spend an average of 122 minutes a day accessing the mobile internet via browsers and apps, an amount that will grown from just ten minutes a day since 2010.
The report notes that mobile internet consumption increased at an average rate of 44% a year between 2010 and 2016, driven by the spread of mobile devices, improvements in technology and greater availability of mobile-adapted content. The average person spent 456 minutes consuming media in 2016, up from 411 minutes in 2010 – an average increase of 2% a year.
It also forecasts that 71% of all internet consumption will be mobile in 2017 and notes that the regions that have embraced mobile internet use the fastest are North America (where 76% of internet use is mobile) and Asia Pacific (75%).
However, traditional media will still account for 69% of global media consumption in 2017 and traditional broadcast TV is still the largest single medium by consumption time. Indeed, it will average 170 minutes of viewing per day this year, compared to 140 minutes for the internet, and is expected to remain dominant for the rest of the forecast period. The gap between television and internet consumption will nevertheless narrow, from 30 minutes in 2017 to just seven minutes in 2019.
Commenting on the findings of the report, Jonathan Barnard, head of forecasting at Zenith, said: “Mobile technology has thoroughly disrupted consumers’ media habits in less than a decade.
“The pace of change is now slowing – at least until the next disruptive technology takes off.”
Vittorio Bonori, Zenith’s Global Brand President, added: “Consumers now expect to be able to communicate and transact with brands at the time and place of their choosing.
“Brands need to respond to and anticipate changes in media behaviour, to build stronger and more durable relationships with consumers and expand their business.”
