Port Washington, N.Y. – Seventy-five percent of adults 18-34 use connected TVs to watch over-the-top (OTT) video, according to a new study by The NPD Group.
The study suggests that young adults are overwhelmingly streaming online video content such as YouTube and Netflix as “the most prominent way of accessing video content.”
NPD’s “Connected Intelligence Applications and Convergence Report” says that 75 percent of young adults are watching smart TVs or devices connected to TVs to access OTT video compared with 68 percent who use their connected TV to watch programming from their cable, satellite or telecom TV provider.
Streaming media player owners are the most likely to use a connected TV screen to access OTT video content, with 81 percent of owners citing thy doing so, NPD says.
This is followed by connected Blu-ray Disc player owners (77 percent), connected video game consoles owners (73 percent), and consumers with their TV directly connected to the Internet (66 percent).
“The younger consumer has come to expect a broadband experience from any screen they come in contact with, and their TV is no exception,” John Buffone, NPD Connected Intelligence devices director, said in a statement. “The pendulum is continuing to shift among younger viewers as each quarter we see more homes connecting their TVs to the Internet. The pace by which networks develop their digital services for the TV screen will increasingly drive brand equity, viewership, and subscriptions among the critically important under 35 demographic who has become captivated by the availability of OTT video.”
Among the top watched services is Netflix, which continues to post subscriber gains while ranking first among 18-34 year-old connected TV users.
The top services used by this group are a mix of subscription, free and transactional offerings, NPD said.
“Increasing usage of OTT video services on the TV is opening up new opportunities for networks and pay-TV operators,” Buffone continued. “We could see pay-TV operators offering their subscribers services such as Netflix, and Networks’ distribution strategies expanding beyond traditional pay-TV outlets. Increased content access and availability would be a win for the consumer, content owner and operator.”
NPD’s survey taken in the second quarter of 2013 and outcome was based on responses from more than 5,000 U.S. consumers, aged 18-years or older, who was asked about their usage of computers, smartphones, tablets and connected TVs.
