PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. — More than 16 million registered U.S. UltraViolet users are viewing their content on TV screens, according to a study released by The NPD Group.
As of February, 61 percent of the U.S. UltraViolet customers watched a movie from their Cloud-based library on a TV, up 43 percent from the 43 percent of viewers who reporting doing so in August 2013, according to NPD’s exclusive UltraViolet report.
The largest gains were made viewing on Internetconnected TVs and Blu-ray players, with streaming-media players and gaming consoles also showing growth.
An UltraViolet user can stream or download purchased movie and TV shows via the Cloud onto a TV or connected device.
The study found a satisfaction rate of nearly 90 percent among UltraViolet users, with 82 percent citing plans to continue using the service in the future.
The study also found that TVs with an integrated streaming capabilities and Internet-connections and connected Blu-ray players were among the most popular platforms for streaming UltraViolet movies on TV screens.
NPD said the TV-centric viewing complements the 72 percent of UltraViolet users who view their movies and TV programs on computers, and 60 percent who use tablets.
Seventy-eight percent of UltraViolet users cite device interoperability as an important or very important feature in their streaming and downloading experience.
“Device interoperability has always been a key value proposition of UltraViolet. The proliferation of UV users accessing UV movies on their TV and across a broad array of connected devices demonstrates this utility,” said Justin Bailey, industry analysis director.
The report classified most UltraViolet users as “early adopters,” or “super consumers,” meaning they have advanced video and device purchasing and usage habits compared with the general public, and may indicate trends and behavior to expect in the future.
A person who has signed up for UltraViolet currently spends three times more on home entertainment content, such as physical or digital TV shows and movies, than the average home entertainment buyer, NPD found.
An UltraViolet user is four times more likely to own a streaming-media device or a connected Blu-ray player and is 11 times more likely to have made an electronic sell-through digital movie purchase in the last year.
The study also found typical UltraViolet users are prone to purchasing more connected hardware. On average, UltraViolet customers own eight connected devices, compared with five for the general population.
“As consumers’ ownership of connected devices increases, UltraViolet’s role in supporting device interoperability should continue to grow,” said Bailey.
The report breaks down a survey of 5,802 UltraViolet- using respondents conducted in February 2014. Data was also collected from 9,490 respondents from NPD’s online survey panel, most of whom were not registered for UltraViolet.
