Survey Says: People Would Rather Watch TV Shows on Computers than TVs
Preference for watching short video clips on smartphones also grew
April 25, 2017
An Accenture survey of internet users around the world found a dramatic shift in TV viewing preferences, with computers abruptly displacing TVs as the preferred device for watching TV shows.
The study, which surveyed 26,000 internet users worldwide, found a sharp drop—from 52% in 2016 to 23% in 2017—of people who said they preferred to watch TV shows the traditional way, on a TV.
Meanwhile, more than four in 10 respondents (42%) said they preferred to watch TV shows on a laptop or desktop, up from 32% last year. The number who opted for smartphone viewing also grew, but less dramatically.
When it comes to short video clips—though many respondents preferred to watch them via a laptop or desktop—the preference for viewing them on smartphones grew substantially in 2017 compared with a year prior.
For example, in 2016, 28% of internet users said they would rather watch short video clips via a smartphone. A year later, that number increased to 41%.
By and large, the digital video audience is growing, and this year the number of digital video viewers worldwide will climb to 2.15 billion. eMarketer estimates more than 62% of the world’s internet users will view digital video in 2017, up from 60.8% in 2016.
—Rimma Kats
New Report in eMarketer PRO This Week
As programmatic advertising matures, buyers and sellers no longer see it merely as a means of automating processes, but rather as an advanced method of controlling ad campaigns—and better targeting the audiences that come with them.
Preview Report
Not a PRO subscriber? Find out how to become one.