While the television continues to provide the best quality picture and viewing experience, the way content is being discovered and consumed is changing dramatically, especially for millennials. According to the preliminary results of the second NATPE||Content First and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) joint research study on consumers attitudes toward television viewing, just 55 percent of millennials use TVs as their primary viewing platform, while streaming devices laptops, tablets, and smartphones are poised to dominate their viewing preferences. CEA and NATPE commissioned the study, conducted by E-Poll Market Research, to evaluate the TV content distribution landscape, explore the dynamics at play against the background of exploding consumer choices and determine how consumers find TV content and view it across different platforms. The initial findings were released today during a panel session held at the 2015 International CES. Owned and produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the 2015 CES, the worlds gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies, runs January 6-9, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Our study confirms that the paradigm for TV content discovery has changed dramatically with increased availability and use of TV content streaming options. With more than seven in 10 viewers in broadband households having streamed full-length TV programs in the past six months, there are opportunities for networks and content producers to reach and build audiences, said NATPE president & CEO Rod Perth. While the vast majority of consumers continue to watch television programming on their TV, many consumers, particularly millennials, increasingly are turning to a variety of devices to view their TV content. This has profound implications for the way CE manufacturers market their products as they try to reach diverse markets, said CEA president and CEO Gary Shapiro. Although many viewers of streaming programs say they are watching more TV programs overall, the joint study shows a decline in the amount of time spent watching live television programs during their scheduled air time. This is particularly true of the younger, millennial demographic which has some distinctive, common characteristics, including the regular use of multiple sources of program content.The full study and additional findings will be released later this month at the NATPE||Miami conference (January 20-22, 2015).
