Posts for 'The Diffusion Group'

  • Streaming Watch Parties Attract 25 Million U.S. Adults During Pandemic

    Twenty five million U.S. adults participated in streaming watch parties in the past year, according to new research from The Diffusion Group. A watch party is when two or more viewers co-watch synched, on demand video with others outside their homes using any screen connected to the Internet and use social features while watching. TDG surveyed 2,000 U.S. adults over age 18 who use an SVOD service. If under 18 year-olds were surveyed as well the total number of watch party users would no doubt further increase.

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  • Forecast: Cord-Cutting to Quadruple Over Next 5 Years

    A forecast from The Diffusion Group last week calls for the rate of cord-cutting in the U.S. to nearly quadruple over the next 5 years compared to the rate for the prior 5 years. TDG expects by 2025 pay-TV subscribers will contract by 36% from 2020, compared with a 9.5% contraction experienced in the 2015-2019 period.

    Overall TDG sees legacy pay-TV providers ending 2020 with around 76 million subscribers. TDG also sees virtual pay-TV providers ending 2020 with around 11 million subscribers.

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  • Research: Roku Users Have Lower Pay-TV Subscription Levels

    The Diffusion Group has released new data showing that Roku users have the lowest levels of traditional pay-TV subscriptions and the highest level of cord-cutting. According to TDG, 64% of Roku box users and 66% of Roku stick users subscribe to pay-TV. 30% of Roku box users and 26% of Roku stick users are cord-cutters.

    For all adult broadband users, 73% continue to subscribe to pay-TV, with just 21% saying they’re cord-cutters. Other devices measured, including Fire TV, Apple TV and Chromecast all had slightly higher levels of pay-TV subscriptions and similar to lower levels of cord-cutting.

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  • Research: Exploring Skinny Bundles’ Momentum with TDG’s Michael Greeson

    Virtual Multichannel Video Programming Distributors (“vMVPDs”) or “skinny bundles” have become a very hot topic in the video industry. Offering fewer TV networks and at a lower monthly price they’re seen as a way of keeping cord-cutters in the ecosystem while attracting cord-nevers. To learn more about the dynamics of vMVPDs, industry research firm (and long-time VideoNuze partner) The Diffusion Group recently completed a comprehensive study of vMVPD subscribers. I interviewed Michael Greeson, TDG’s president and director of research, to learn more.

    VideoNuze: From a top-line perspective, what are the most important takeaways from your research?

    Michael Greeson: First and foremost, while these services are successfully connecting with cord-cutters, they are entirely missing out with cord-nevers. Cord-cutters account for 54% of total vMVPD subs. The consumers were largely driven from legacy services by high service costs and paying having to pay for channels they don’t watch, and vMVPD services appear to better address these needs.

    Cord-nevers, on the other hand, account for only 9% of vMVPD subs—clear evidence that these offerings are failing to resonate with younger buyers. And for good reason: cord-nevers are largely driven by a genuine lack of interest in multi-channel pay-TV services. They prefer a ‘build it yourself’ service that allows them to select and pay for only the channels they want, versus signing up for a bundle of channels.

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  • Research: 22% of U.S. Broadband Homes Don’t Have Pay-TV, Double Vs. 2011

    As of year-end 2016, 22% of the 100 million U.S. homes that subscribe to broadband did not also subscribe to a pay-TV service. That’s up from 9% of the 85 million U.S. homes that subscribed to broadband but did not also subscribe to a pay-TV service in 2011. Over the course of 2016 alone, the rate of broadband homes subscribing to pay-TV declined from 82% to 78%, resulting in 22 million broadband homes without pay-TV at the end of last year, compared with 8 million in 2011.

    The data comes from a new report from The Diffusion Group, “Life Without Legacy Pay-TV: A Profile of U.S. Cord Cutters and Cord Nevers” that has just been published.

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  • TDG: Facebook to Dominate Social TV

    Facebook is poised to dominate “social TV” according to a new report from The Diffusion Group, authored by veteran industry analyst Alan Wolk. Social TV is defined as using social media platforms to discuss, comment on, or enhance the television experience.

    While Facebook’s importance grows, TDG sees Twitter’s role in social TV declining, though it is still significant today. Two main forces are at work: (1) a continued decline in live viewing, thereby making real-time platforms like Twitter less relevant and (2) a shift from fan-driven social TV activity to paid promotional placements by TV networks.

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  • Last Call: Social Media and Second-Screen TV Webinar is Tomorrow

    This is last call to register for tomorrow's complimentary webinar, "Social Media and Second-Screen TV Experiences." The webinar will feature Michael Greeson, founder of The Diffusion Group, who will share social insights from his firm's recent survey of 1,000 broadband users/TV viewers. TDG will also provide registrants with a complimentary copy of its accompanying report, a $1,500 value. Then Kevin Wyatt, director of business development for Rovi, will explain how the company's entertainment-related social media can be incorporated into TV apps. There will be plenty of time for Q&A.

    Register now!

     
  • Complimentary Webinar: Social Media and Second-Screen TV - June 19th

    Next Wednesday, June 19th, I'll be hosting a complimentary webinar focused on the impact of social media and second-screens on TV experiences. By now, anyone involved in the TV industry is well aware that the content itself is one part of the overall viewing experience;  for a growing group of viewers the social aspect that surrounds it has become equally important. Still, social is a relatively new phenomenon for TV and much is not yet understood.

    In this webinar, Michael Greeson, founder of The Diffusion Group, will share social insights from his firm's recent survey of 1,000 broadband users/TV viewers. TDG will also provide registrants with a complimentary copy of its accompanying report, a $1,500 value. Then, Kevin Wyatt, director of business development for Rovi, will explain how the company's entertainment-related social media can be incorporated into TV apps. There will be plenty of time for Q&A.

    Register now!

     
  • Complimentary Webinar: Social Media and Second-Screen TV - June 19th

    Please join me for a complimentary webinar on the impact of social media and second-screens on TV experiences. In this webinar, which I'll moderate, Michael Greeson, founder of The Diffusion Group, will share detailed findings from his firm's recent survey of 1,000 broadband users/TV viewers. TDG will also provide registrants with a complimentary copy of the accompanying report, a $1,500 value.

    In addition, Kevin Wyatt, director of business development for Rovi, will explain how it enables entertainment-related social media to be seamlessly incorporated into apps, with supporting examples. There will be ample time for Q&A.

    Register now!

     
  • Multiscreen Live Linear - Consumer Values and Perceptions

    Following is a contributed post by Mio Babic, who is the founder and CEO of iStreamPlanet, the leader in live linear streaming solutions including the soon to be released Aventus live video workflow solution.

    Multiscreen Live Linear - Consumer Values and Perceptions
    by Mio Babic

    Recently iStreamPlanet partnered with The Diffusion Group to better understand the opportunity in delivering a multiscreen live linear experience to multiple devices. As digital media innovators it’s easy for us to get excited about moving the technology forward, and while we see 24/7 live linear streaming as the next step in the OTT evolution, we wanted to verify that we are creating technology for an experience that consumers desire, and therefore profitable for our customers in the media industry.

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  • VideoNuze-TDG Podcast #157 - More Thoughts on Cord-Cutters and Cord-Nevers

    I'm pleased to present the 157th edition of the VideoNuze-TDG podcast with my weekly partner Colin Dixon, senior analyst at The Diffusion Group. This week we devote the full podcast to discussing TDG's new report, "Pay-TV Refugees - A Primary Research Profile of Cord-Cutters and Cord-Nevers."

    Colin notes that U.S. households with broadband service that don't subscribe to pay-TV have grown steadily in the last 3 years, and are forecast to continue doing so over the next 5 years. We dig into the main reasons behind this - affordability and relevance, particularly for younger consumers.

    As I wrote earlier this week, the fundamental question here is what broadband users - presented with a huge new diversity of online video choices, the rising cost of pay-TV and a proliferation of new viewing devices - will do? Admittedly it's still very early in the game and hard to predict what's ahead. But it does seem inevitable, given human behavior, that some percentage will peel off, either dropping pay-TV or not subscribing in the first place.

    All of this - and more - is on the table for discussion at next Wednesday morning's VideoSchmooze in NYC. More info here.

    Click here to listen to the podcast (19 minutes, 12 seconds)




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  • Study: Cord-Cutters and Cord-Nevers Will Soar to 17.2 Million U.S. Homes by 2017

    New research from The Diffusion Group forecasts that the number of "pay-TV refugees" - U.S. homes subscribing to broadband, but not to pay-TV services - will increase 58%, from 10.9 million in 2012 to 17.2 million in 2017. Pay-TV refugees consist of both "cord-cutters" (homes that once subscribed to pay-TV, but no longer do) and "cord-nevers" (homes that have never subscribed to pay-TV). The percentage of broadband subscribers who are pay-TV refugees will increase from 12.5% in 2012 to 17.2% in 2017.

    Although it forecasts the number of cord-cutters to increase over the next 5 years, TDG's founding partner and director of research Michael Greeson believes the pay-TV industry's main concern should be with cord-nevers which will more than double during that period. Of the 17.2 million pay-TV refugees in 2017, TDG forecasts 40% or 6.9 million of them to be cord-nevers, up from 29%, or 3.2 million, in 2012.

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  • Early Days, Big Potential for Advertising on Connected TVs [VIDEO]

    At the recent VideoNuze 2012 Online Video Advertising Summit, TDG senior analyst Colin Dixon sat down with Ed Haslam, SVP of Marketing at YuMe to discuss the market for video advertising on connected TVs (sometimes also called "Smart TVs"). Ed and Colin agreed that while there are already 20 million or more U.S. homes with these TVs, the ad opportunity is still relatively small, though it has enormous potential as these devices are adopted in hundreds of millions of homes globally over the next 5 years.

    Ed has a strong perspective on this space as YuMe has a deal with Samsung and with LG to power advertising on their connected TVs. In the session, Ed discussed the experiences of 2 early advertisers, Toyota and State Farm. He also explained exactly where video ads are inserted today, how these units differ from typical pre-roll units seen online, and how the market is broadening to also include in-app advertising. Ed also describes 2 key challenges for the connected TV advertising space; consumer fragmentation and gaining developers' attention.

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  • Complimentary Webinar Today at 2pm ET: Next-Gen Video Discovery

    Please join me for a complimentary webinar today at 11am PT / 2pm ET "Next-Gen Video Discovery: Make the Guide Your Catalyst for Growth." Colin Dixon, senior partner at research firm The Diffusion Group, Yosi Glick, CEO/co-founder of taste engine Jinni and I will discuss how the proliferation of video choices and devices is creating huge challenges for viewers to find what they really want to watch - and what's being done to address this problem. If understanding how discovery will work in the online video era is important to you, then this webinar will be very worthwhile. There will be plenty of time for audience Q&A.

    Learn more and register now
     
  • Complimentary Webinar, Thurs., Nov. 3rd: Next-Gen Video Discovery

    Please join me for a complimentary webinar on Thurs., Nov. 3rd at 11am PT / 2pm ET, as Colin Dixon, senior partner at research firm The Diffusion Group, Yosi Glick, CEO/co-founder of taste engine Jinni and I discuss how the proliferation of video choices and devices is creating real challenges for people to find what they really want to watch - and what's being done to address this problem. As one example, just yesterday Belgian IPTV provider Belgacom announced that Jinni would be integrated with its Movie Me VOD service rolling out on Samsung Smart TVs.

    As video continues to proliferate, there are numerous solutions to address the navigation challenge, each with its own pros and cons. Solving this problem will have huge benefits for viewers, and implications for content providers and device makers. In this timely webinar we'll explore key trends, different technology approaches being deployed and what the future holds. If understanding how discovery will work in the online video era is important to you, then this webinar will be very worthwhile.

    Learn more and register now
     
  • Complimentary Webinar, Thurs., Nov. 3rd: Next-Gen Video Discovery

    Please join me for a complimentary webinar on Thurs., Nov. 3rd at 11am PT / 2pm ET, as Colin Dixon, senior partner at research firm The Diffusion Group, Yosi Glick, CEO/co-founder of recommendation engine Jinni and I discuss how the proliferation of video choices and devices has made it harder than ever for people to find what they really want to watch - and what's being done to address this problem.

    It wasn't that long ago that the on-screen electronic program guide provided by pay-TV operators served as the most convenient way to discover what was available on TV, which was of course the primary place to access video programming. Now, however, there's a whole separate universe of programming available outside the pay-TV operator's scope of services (e.g. Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, web-only series, branded entertainment, etc.). And there's a huge range of connected and mobile devices (e.g. iPad, Roku, gaming consoles, Android smartphones, etc.) being used to watch this programming.

    A range of different solutions has sprung up to address the navigation challenge, each with its own pros and cons. Solving this problem will have enormous benefits for viewers, and implications for content providers and device makers. In this timely webinar we'll explore key trends, different technology approaches being deployed and what the future holds. If it's important to you to understand how discovery will work in the online video era, then this webinar will be very worthwhile.

    Learn more and register now
     
  • New Research Shows Netflix Is A Catalyst for Cord-Cutting and Cord-Shaving

    The Diffusion Group released interesting research yesterday which supports a view that I've had for a while: heavy Netflix streaming usage correlates with a propensity to cut back on pay-TV services. Although Netflix has strenuously tried to position itself as a low-priced compliment to pay-TV services, the reality is that for some pay-TV subscribers who have begun shifting their viewing hours to Netflix streaming, the two are more substitutes than compliments. As I've argued, these are primarily people who are entertainment-oriented, don't care about live sports, are comfortable with on-demand, not live-viewing, are budget-constrained, or some combination of all of these.

    The headline of the research is that the number of Netflix streamers considering downgrading their pay-TV service doubled year-over-year from 16% to 32%. But to me the key nugget is that among those who said they are likely to downgrade or eliminate their pay-TV service, 61% of moderate to heavy Netflix streamers cite online video usage as the top reason for doing so (with two-thirds of these citing Netflix specifically), while just 24% point to economic issues as their top reason. Conversely, for all Netflix streamers, almost half point to economic issues as their main reason (e.g. "cost of service" and "need to save money"), with just 34% pointing to online video usage as their top reason.

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  • Webinar with Colin Dixon Today on Net Neutrality

    Colin Dixon, senior partner at The Diffusion Group, and I will continue our complimentary webinar series, "The Terror of Technology II: Demystifying Broadband TV" today at 2pm ET/11am PT.

    In today's session, Colin and I will discuss net neutrality and how it impacts online video. We're coming at this quite differently, so the webinar promises a spirited exchange of ideas. There will be ample time for audience Q&A. Please join us!

    Click here to register

     
  • 2 Complimentary Upcoming Webinars

    I'll be participating in 2 complimentary upcoming webinars that will be of interest to VideoNuze readers.

    First, this Thurs, Sept. 23rd, Colin Dixon, Senior Partner at The Diffusion Group and I will present "The Terror of Terminology: Demystifying Broadband TV." Colin is a savvy broadband analyst, with whom I often compare notes on the market. We've both been hearing similar types of questions in the market, so we've decided take on 5-6 items and address misunderstandings that linger.

    We'll discuss the difference between "broadband TV" and "Internet TV," whether online video ads can support long-form premium content, why so many cable programs are available online, but so few cable programs are, what's the difference between hybrid set-top boxes and Internet set-top boxes, and why TV Everywhere is so significant. Expect a fun and educational conversation, with plenty of time for audience Q&A. Learn more and register.

    Then on Wed, Sept. 30th I'll be participating in a Brightcove-sponsored webinar, "New Video Distribution Strategies - Taking Video Beyond the PC." Other speakers include Chris Little, Technology Director at Brightcove and Rich Ezekial, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Connected TV, Yahoo. Accessing online video on other devices like TVs and smartphones is one of the hottest areas of the broadband video landscape, and we'll be digging in to key trends, best practices and monetization opportunities. In particular, we'll hear specifics about Yahoo's Connected TV strategy. Learn more and register.

    I look forward to seeing you on one or both of these exciting webinars!

     
  • New Research from TDG Sheds Light on Consumers' Three Screen Intentions

    This past Tuesday I highlighted some of Nielsen's recent data which showed, among other things, significant online and mobile video usage by younger age groups. In that post I noted that marketers need to pay close attention to these trends to ensure their products and services meet these users' needs and expectations.

    New research from The Diffusion Group (a long-time VideoNuze partner) provides a window into how users think about accessing video across multiple screens, and who the providers might be. TDG has recently completed a survey of 2,000 adults (18 or above) which tested interest in two-screen and three-screen services along with content and features. TDG has graciously provided a sample of the slides for complimentary download by VideoNuze. You can download the slides here.

    TDG defined a three-screen service as "a single video service which feeds all your household TVs, PCs and mobile devices, for a single monthly fee, from a single service provider, and with relatively equal content, variety and quality of service for all three devices."

    TDG found that almost 25% of those surveyed responded positively to such a package. Whereas video marketers would have traditionally considered heavy TV viewership (25 hours/week and above) to be the most important criterion for driving more video services adoption, these so-called "three-screen intenders" don't exhibit heavier TV viewership than non-intenders (though they're slightly higher in moderate viewership, 11-25 hours/week).

    Rather, the behavior that distinguishes three-screen intenders is how much online viewing they're doing. The intenders are far higher consumers of online video in general, and of online TV programs in particular. In other words, their behaviors are already self-selecting them as the targets for a three-screen service offering. That of course makes it much easier for marketers to find and target them.

    All of this certainly supports Comcast's and Time Warner Cable's recently revealed plans to offer their video subscribers online access to programs. Better news still for these companies is that TDG found that cable operators were the top choice by intenders as the preferred three-screen provider. Cable was chosen by 31.7% of intenders, almost double the amount that selected satellite operators. Translation: there is a sizable group of consumers interested in three-screen services and cable appears to be in the prime position to capitalize on this.

    Of course, the next question then is whether cable operators should charge for these services or imitate Netflix's example with Watch Instantly by including them as a value add to existing digital services. In my opinion, at least some of the online viewing capability should be included for no extra charge. That would go a long way toward establishing loyalty, and position cable for even greater competitive gains.

    Click here to download the complimentary slides.

    What do you think? Post a comment now.

     
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