24% of pay-TV subscribers report having TV Everywhere as part of their service up from 16% in Q2/13.
The increase in awareness was primarily among subscribers age 18-34. Nevertheless, awareness is far below the actual number of subscribers that have TV Everywhere service. Service providers have generally completed their roll-out of the capability.
107 TDG Press Release: TV Gets Personal: Mobile Video to Account for 20% of Total Viewing by 2025; March 4, 2015; www.tdgresearch.com
108 TDG Press Release: TV Gets Personal: Mobile Video to Account for 20% of Total Viewing by 2025; March 4, 2015; www.tdgresearch.com
109 Hub Research 2015: What’s TV Worth Study; April 2015
110 Citation-L
111 Citation-L
112 NATPE/CEA Consumer Choice in a Dynamic TV Landscape, November 2015
Pay-TV subscribers do not necessarily associate authenticated video services with their pay-TV provider. One-half of those using authenticated video from their provider monthly report that they do not have TV Everywhere services as part of their pay-TV package.113
Pay-TV subscribers that watch movies and TV programs from alternative sources and on alternative platforms should be prime users of TV Everywhere services. In reality, over one-half of them are not even aware that they have access to TV Everywhere services.114
Viacom found that TVE awareness does not equate to really “knowing”. 68% of all respondents are aware of the TVE concept:
Authenticators - 81%
Digerati - 61%
Off-Liners 42% 115
Asked directly, consumers vary somewhat in the type of online content they think MVPDs offer, but the prevailing sentiment is uncertainty. “As far as you know, do MVPDs offer you the ability to: 116
Watch past episodes of TV programs on a computer, through their website – 43% Yes / 7% No / 50% Don’t Know
Watch live TV on a smartphone or tablet while you’re at home, through their mobile app – 39% Yes / 7% No / 54% Don’t Know
Watch live TV on a computer while you’re at home, through their website – 39% Yes / 9% No / 52% Don’t Know
Watch past episodes of TV programs on a smartphone or tablet, through their mobile app – 38% Yes / 10% No / 52% Don’t Know
Watch live TV on a computer when you’re away from home, through their website – 35% Yes / 10% No / 55% Don’t Know
Watch live TV on a smartphone or tablet when you’re away from home, through their mobile app – 35% Yes / 10% No / 55% Don’t Know
Viacom further notes that our definition of TVE is not short & sweet: “Have you ever heard about TV Everywhere sites/apps that allow you to watch full-length TV shows by logging in with your cable or satellite information? These apps are available on tablets and smartphones, or you would watch on an Internet-connected/Smart TV, video game system/console, computer, or media playing device (like Apple TV, Roku), etc.” 117
113 Parks Associates Access & Entertainment Services: Q3 Market Focus. TV Everywhere Use & Authentication, Q3 2013
114 Parks Associates Access & Entertainment Services: Q3 Market Focus. TV Everywhere Use & Authentication, Q3 2013
115 Viacom Strategic Insights & Research, TV, Here, There, (Not Quite) Everywhere, 2014
116 Hub Research 2015: What’s TV Worth Study; April 2015
117 Viacom Strategic Insights & Research, TV, Here, There, (Not Quite) Everywhere, 2014
Subscribers won’t get much value from TV Everywhere if they don’t know that it exists. Awareness levels are thankfully increasing, but service providers should make greater efforts to educate their subscribers. Placing more advertisements in billing, price sheets, and websites will help boost awareness. Older subscribers, in particular, are unaware of TV Everywhere offerings.118
Nearly all authenticators agree that TVE adds value to their pay TV subscription and increases loyalty.
98% say TVE adds value to their pay TV subscription; 67% say TVE adds a lot of value. And 93% are more likely to stay with a provider because of TVE.119
Use of TVE services has had a major impact on consumer’ engagement and perceptions of an MVPD subscription (base: have watched TV on computer, tablet or smartphone) (Fig. 31).120
(Fig. 31)
Hub Research finds that among all MVPD Subs, 61% report feeling somewhat or a lot more positive about their TV provider because of the availability of TVE services. The impact is especially strong among younger viewers (e.g., Millennials). Among A16-34, 71% report feeling somewhat/a lot more positive and among A35-64, this figure is 55%. 121
The impact is also stronger than average among households with young kids age 5 and under (73%
feel somewhat or a lot more positive), and among those HH that say TV is an “essential” part of their entertainment lives (75% feel somewhat or a lot more positive).122
The availability of TVE also seems to reduce the appeal of cord-cutting. 83% of heavy TVE users report that availability of TVE services makes them more likely to continue getting service from their MVPD, and 66% of all TVE users report this, whereas the average for all MVPD subscribers is 54%.123
118 Parks Associates Access & Entertainment Services: Q3 Market Focus. TV Everywhere Use & Authentication, Q3 2013
119 Viacom Strategic Insights & Research, TV, Here, There, (Not Quite) Everywhere, 2014
120 Hub Research 2015: What’s TV Worth Study; April 2015
121 Hub Research 2015: What’s TV Worth Study; April 2015
122 Hub Research 2015: What’s TV Worth Study; April 2015
48% of non-TVE users say that their MVPD subscription is an excellent/good value. 67% of all TVE users report this, as do 82% of heavy TVE Users, 59% of moderate TVE users and 52% of light TVE users.
124More than half (51%) of cable subs say their cable subscription is more valuable because of TVE.125 54% of all MVPD subscribers report that the ability to watch TV content on different devices makes them feel a little or a lot more positive about a cable network. 69% feel a little or a lot more positive about a premium network in light of this ability.126