NEW YORK—Consumers spend more time watching TV than they do interacting with any other ad-supported media platform. That is one of the key takeaways from the 2020 Media Comparisons Study done by GfK in collaboration with TVB, the local broadcast TV trade association.

The 2020 Media Consumption Study looked at how individuals consume ad-supported media, as well as the platforms’ reach, time spent and role in motivating consumers to learn more about a product or service. The study also looked at where people get their daily news.

Local broadcast TV, both traditional and digital, was the top medium for consumers. Adults 18 and older spent five hours and 17 minutes with TV daily; social media was the next closest with an hour and six minutes, while radio came in at an hour and one minute. It also had the highest reach of those 18 and older, available to 80%, 78% of which is from broadcast; social media, radio and cable were in the mid 50s.

Local broadcast TV was also cited as the most trusted news source, having 75% of respondents 18 and older agreeing. The big four broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) were also highlighted as the four top choices of TV networks, with a cable channel rounding out the top five.

As far as advertising, TV led the way in that as well. It was noted as an influencer in purchase decisions 63% more than social media, three times more than direct mail and search, and seven times more so than radio. Among adults, 54% said TV ads motivated them to do more research, with those numbers increasing in certain categories (i.e. car buyers).

“Competition for consumers’ attention grows by the day, and yet television continues to stand tall as the medium with which people choose to spend most of their available time,” said Steve Lanzano, president and CEO of TVB.

The full 2020 Media Consumption Study is available online. 

NEW YORK—When it comes to the top type of media that influences consumers at purchase time, traditional television remains king, according to the 2019 Purchase Funnel study conducted by GfK.

The study found that 96% of in-market consumers first find out about a product from media, with 85% saying that media directly influences their purchases. TV was the most important driver of this awareness for 56% of consumers; all other media combined trailed at 40%.

The influence of TV is also able to bridge the age gap, with 85% of adults and 91% of millennials saying TV advertising influenced their online searches. TV ads also spur action, as 78% of opinion leaders said they responded with some kind of action after seeing TV ads.

In addition, the report found that both adults and millennials believe local broadcast TV news and local newspapers are the most trusted sources of news, while social media is the least.

“The most important insight for marketers from the GfK study is that exposure to an advertising platform does not guarantee its importance to consumers—with the exception of television,” said Hadassa Gerber, TVB chief research officer. “With more options for advertisers to deliver their messages than ever before, television continues to have the greatest impact on driving awareness and motivating consumers to take action.”

The full report is available on tvb.com.

NEW YORK—The latest from GfK MRI research points to a binge-watching binge, with almost six in 10 (57 percent) TV viewers saying they have regularly watched three or more episodes of the same show in one sitting – whether that be via streaming, DVR, VOD or TV marathons.

Regular binge viewing includes:

• 14 percent “usually – binge all or most of the time”
• 18 percent “frequently – binge more than half the time”
• 25 percent “sometimes – binge about half the time”

Asked to think up a new term for their behavior, regular bingers playfully gravitate to the term “extreme viewing” – and overall, 73 percent of regular bingers report having a positive view of their binge-viewing habits. Two out of three (77 percent) say it is “so fun to binge watch, I have a hard time stopping,” and roughly half (48 percent) feel that binge viewing keeps them “up to date/in the know.”

Four in ten (41 percent) regular bingers report that TV shows they have never seen occupy most of their binge-viewing time, compared to 35 percent for “old favorite” programs. Less than one-quarter, or 22 percent, say that original shows from streaming services take up the majority of their binge hours.

Millennials are among the most prolific bingers, with 53 percent saying that they are regular bingers, binge-viewing more than half the time they watch TV. Millennials are more likely than average viewers to say that live TV has become more of a special event for them (16 percent, index of 152) and that binge viewing makes them feel more connected to the shows they watch (32 percent, index of 143).

Not surprisingly, streaming services are the main conduits for binge viewing; two-thirds (66 percent) of regular bingers say streaming is the binge viewing option they use most (up from 58 percent 10 months ago). And Millennials who binge regularly, 81 percent binge through streaming services.

About one in four (22 percent) regular bingers say DVRs are their main source of regular binge viewing, and one in five (19 percent) rely on traditional TV marathons.

“Binge viewing used to have negative connotations in viewers’ minds,” said Karen Ramspacher, senior vice president of Consumer Insights of GfK MRI’s special research on TV viewing. “But as it expands further into the mainstream, people are excited to embrace the behavior. From DVD box sets to DVRs to cable TV marathons, binge-viewing has been enabled by a host of video platforms and packages; but streaming services have taken this habit to new levels. Programming for bingers, and figuring out how to advertise to them more effectively, are key challenges for programmers and networks alike.”

The number one reason people binge is that they have free time; but other top motivations include catching up on shows currently airing and inability to stop watching because the viewer is hooked. Millennials over-index on most of the reasons; they are 41 percent more likely, for example, to binge because they are addicted to a show.