Consumers the Winner as Industry Responds to Changing Video Habits, Says Parks

Broadband households in the U.S. at the end of 2017 were spending nearly three hours a week watching video on a mobile phone, a 55 percent bump from 2015, said a Friday Parks Associates report. At the same time, live broadcast viewing on TV fell to 44 percent of total video consumption from over 60 percent in early 2012, it said. As on-demand viewing rises in the fast-changing video services market, consumers’ expectations for features and experience continue to evolve, and how consumers select and purchase services is changing, creating a “challenging competitive environment,” said analyst Brett Sappington. The industry is responding with direct-to-consumer services from content producers, new monetization models, and online pay-TV services. Consumers are the ultimate winners of the transitioning market, “enjoying new services, enhanced features, greater personalization, and a superior user experience,” Sappington said. Meanwhile, Comcast released a summary of viewing data associated with its Xfinity on Campus service Thursday, saying “live” is the preferred method of viewing for college students at 44 percent of total video consumption, followed by VOD (37 percent) and DVR (19 percent). Comcast's “tens of thousands” of students using the service prefer viewing on laptops vs. mobile devices with prime time on Thursday and Sunday the most-watched periods in a week, led by sports, scripted drama and reality TV, said Mike Gatzke, vice president-video subscription services of Comcast Cable. Xfinity on Campus, available at more than 130 colleges, is included as part of the on-campus TV service provided with students' housing fees, said the Comcast website.