PORTSMOUTH, NH—A new survey from Hub indicates that younger viewers in particular are becoming more accepting of ad-supported streaming services.

According to the researcher’s semi-annual “TV Advertising: Fact vs. Fiction-Wave 10” study, more viewers than ever are opting to save money by accepting ads, and fewer viewers are saying they cannot tolerate TV ads. These trends are even more pronounced among viewers under age 35.

However, the survey indicated that that tolerance only extends to ad-supported streaming services, where there are shorter and less frequent ad breaks, compared to the traditional heavily commercialized linear TV experience.

“Younger viewers are more likely to say, “I don’t mind watching TV with ads as much as I used to,’” the researcher said.

A better ad experience leads to a greater likelihood to accept ads to save on subscription costs, according to Hub. Over the past four years, as more services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ have introduced ad-supported tiers, the choice to accept ads to reduce cost has risen dramatically.

In December 2025, two-thirds of viewers would “rather save money” than avoid ads, up significantly from 2021.

Over the same four-year period, the number of viewers who “can’t tolerate ads” has gradually declined as well.

Hub says that its survey revealed that economic anxiety among viewers affects how they manage their TV subscriptions. Since Fall 2022, half or more of viewers have expressed they are “very concerned” about the state of the economy, and in this wave, it was 54%. At the same time, nearly half (46%) of viewers think streaming services are raising their prices more often than in the past.

Put those sentiments together, and many people are expecting to reduce spending on TV, particularly, those who are very concerned about the economy are more likely to reassess their spending on TV subscriptions, with two-thirds saying they are planning to cancel or reduce spending, Hub said, adding that not surprisingly, lower income viewers are also more likely to say they will be reducing their spending on TV.

Ad-supported subscription tiers offer an opportunity to retain budget-conscious viewers, Hub said. With so many viewers willing to reduce their spending on TV services, lower cost ad-supported subscriptions can keep many of them from canceling.

Viewers’ awareness of the major streamers’ ad-supported has continued a gradual increase over the past two years, and a majority now know that Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Peacock provide lower cost services with ads.

There has also been a corresponding increase over the past year and a half of viewers opting for a strictly ad-supported mix of subscriptions. As of December 2025, one-third avail themselves of ad-supported services only, significantly higher than in June 2025.

Part of that increase in ad-supported-only viewing is driven by tier switching. There has been a significant increase in the past eighteen months in viewers migrating between ad-free and ad-supported service tiers, with a third now saying they have done so.

Younger viewers age 18-34 are more likely to say they don’t mind TV ads as much as in the past, and that leads to a far greater likelihood to switch between ad-supported and ad-free tiers. Nearly half (45%) have done so, a considerable 19 points higher than those age 35+.

Not surprisingly, given the degree of economic uncertainty among viewers, and their desire to reduce spending, tier switching is mainly about saving money. Those sentiments are significantly more prevalent among viewers than they were in June 2024.

Although TV subscription costs are rising, and viewers are looking to cut costs, the ability to manage their array of services allows them to derive significant value from TV, Hub said, with two-thirds of all viewers agreeing that TV subscriptions deliver more “bang for the buck” than other entertainment options. Among those who habitually churn in and out of their subscriptions, the number is even higher (75%).

Viewers 18-34 and those with kids, who are the most likely to switch to lower cost subscriptions, are the most likely to see value in their TV services. Once again, this shows if viewers are comfortable with the price point of a subscription, they value it, Hub said.

U.S. TV viewers have been hit hard by inflation and worries about a potential recession over the past several years, during and post-pandemic. The continued uncertainty brought on in 2025 by new tariff policies and other disruptions still has consumers concerned, Hub said. TV subscriptions are not excluded from viewers’ consideration when they are trying to keep rising household costs in line.

But the strategic decision by many streamers to offer lower priced ad-supported subscriptions has turned out to be a smart hedge against cancellations. Many viewers, especially those who are younger or have kids are finding the ad experience is better than it used to be, and opting for ads to save money is a good deal.

“As we head into 2026, TV viewers continue to worry about the direction the economy is headed,” said Mark Loughney, Senior Consultant at Hub. “But for TV and video streaming providers, the news is better. By giving viewers the choice of accepting ads for cost savings, they are delivering great value compared to other entertainment. Viewers are figuring out for themselves the optimal mix of ad-supported and ad-free services that fit within their budgets. If the streamers continue to provide an ad experience that’s better than traditional TV, they will deliver good value and minimize churn.”

These findings are from Hub’s 2025 “TV Advertising: Fact vs. Fiction” report, based on a survey conducted among 3,000 US consumers age 14-74, who watch at least 1 hour of TV per week. Interviews were conducted in November 2025 and explored consumers’ attitudes toward advertising, how it differs across video platforms, and how ad strategy affects viewer engagement. A free excerpt of the findings is available on Hub’s website. This report is part of the “Hub Reports” syndicated report series.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.—A new survey from Pixitmedia by Datacore revealed a major shift in the Media & Entertainment industry in media archiving, with 85% of respondents saying they plan to migrate to a horizontally integrated approach to their assets and media management.

The global survey, “State of Media Archiving,” found a desire to move away from fragmented, multigeneration systems as the ability to scale and derive greater efficiencies is impeded by integration costs, data silos and inefficient collaboration—the main drivers for the shift.

“Our findings underscore what many in the industry already feel: traditional, siloed media archiving systems can’t keep up, and workflows must evolve to meet new operational realities, Barry Evans, Pixitmedia senior vice president of product development, said. “With data and content libraries expanding across both traditional and digital-native segments, migrating to a unified, horizontally integrated approach enables companies to streamline operations, support collaboration across regions and position themselves for sustainable growth in an increasingly content-driven market.”

A total of 330 M&E professionals were questioned for the inaugural Pixitmedia survey. Forty-five percent of respondents said automation, metadata enrichment and third-party integration were key workflow challenges faced by their organizations.

In response, 76% of organizations plan to increase technology budgets over the next 12 months to modernize archiving capabilities to support content-intensive operations, the survey found.

As of 2025, only 6% of M&E companies have fully migrated to a single-platform approach to media archiving. Ten percent of digital service providers and 7% of houses of worship are the lead early adopters, while TV and video broadcasters remain the slowest to make the shift, with just 3% completed and 10% reporting no migration plans.

Adoption intent, however, is strong. Seventy-five percent of houses of worship are currently evaluating ROI and business benefits, and all sports franchises surveyed plan to migrate within the next 24 months, the survey found.

Hybrid deployments continue to dominate across M&E strategies, preferred by 42% of respondents. Looking ahead, 40% expect hybrid setups to remain their preferred configuration in 2026. Adoption varies by sector, with 69% of houses of worship and 58% of enterprise video teams leading the way. Currently, one-quarter of respondents favor on-premises deployment, a figure expected to rise to 31% among those planning to host media archiving workflows in-house over the next 12 months.

AI-driven media archiving is now a top priority across nearly every M&E segment. Up to 39% of studios and 46% of enterprises are embedding AI/ML to enhance content operations. A total of 45% of respondents cited operational productivity as the primary benefit of AI/ML integration in media archiving workflows, with metadata enrichment, automated search and deduplication the most in-demand AI capabilities, it found.

Pixitmedia is the media division of Datacore Software. It provides nearline and active archive solutions, as well as workflow applications.

Survey findings are available on the company’s website.

More information is available here.

Haivision is inviting broadcast, media, and production professionals worldwide to share their perspectives on the latest technology trends and challenges shaping the industry.

The company will use the survey’s findings to publish its annual Broadcast Trends Report, with the 2026 iteration marking the seventh year of publication.

The report will explore the state of technology adoption, the company said, and highlight the major trends in live video contribution, remote and cloud production, IP workflows, 5G, AI, and other emerging technologies.

“The Broadcast Transformation Report is built on the insights shared by the people who shape our industry every day,” Mark Horchler, marketing director, products and solutions at Haivision, told TVBEurope.

“The survey is a snapshot of the realities that broadcasters are facing today, the technologies they are prioritising, and the shifts that will define the year ahead. By contributing their experiences, participants help create a clearer understanding of where the industry is heading and how it can continue to innovate.”

The survey is available here, and is open until Dec. 3..

This article initially appeared in TVBEurope, sister publication to TV Tech.

PORTSMOUTH, NH—”Bundling” is not only becoming more popular among insurance carriers, it’s become increasingly more popular among TV viewers.

Consumers seeking more value out of their viewing options are more loyal to services that are bundled and new bundles introduced over the past year like Disney+ and Max, Hulul with Disney+, etc.) have proven to be popular. In a new survey from Hub Entertainment Research, 42% of respondents said they are much more likely to keep bundled services compared to services they subscribe to individually.

The results are from Hub Entertainment Research’s "Monetizing Video" which conducted interviews with 1,600 US consumers ages 16-74 with broadband access in June 2025.

The average user, according to the survey, spends $83 per month on TV services, but say they are only willing to spend a few dollars more ($86). Consumers are tapped out on paying for multiple subscriptions—those paying for 3 or more services are spending more than they’d like and are unwilling to spend more, according to Hub.

The biggest attraction to bundles is the price, with “free” leading the way, but users will still pay for the right combination of content and features from a TV service.

To better understand viewer priorities and how they value different aspects of TV services, Hub asked respondents to rank what they value most when choosing a TV service.

Of 16 attributes tested, below are the top 8 attributes and the percentage share they contribute to the total value of a service - with some notable changes since last year:

• "Low price" by far still matters most to the value of a TV service (hence the growth of free services like YouTube, Tubi, and the Roku Channel).
• Having access to full seasons and being able to binge watch have grown in importance; Netflix has made these attributes table stakes.
• Tolerance for ads has increased: having "no ads so you can avoid ads" is less important vs. last year, as users lean into using free services with ads.
• Demand for new theatrical movies on TV services has decreased as theater-going remains soft and viewers lean into plentiful original content from streamers.
• As leagues have sold more sports rights to streamers, live sports have become more important to consumers in how they value favorite teams and games.
• New, cheaper streaming tiers introduced since 2022 have softened interest in plan tier choices as they embrace new bundles of services.

"Emphasizing ‘low price’ and ‘unlimited access’ are evergreen value drivers that streamers can lean into as they manage the ups and downs of new programming slates,” says Jason Platt Zolov, Senior Consultant at Hub. "Leaning into attractive bundles of complementary services is proof-positive that combined services bring winning value and even stronger customer loyalty."

NEW YORK—A national survey of U.S. consumers shows 66% of us watch TV “all or most of the time” and also multitask while doing it.

A new national study from Optimum of more than 200 participants reveals that television is still central to American life, but the way people watch it has changed dramatically. Viewers are no longer sitting quietly on the couch, focused on just one screen. Instead, they are multitasking, with almost 90% of survey respondents doing something else while watching.

Here are the most popular pastimes while watching TV, in this order:

• Eating.
• Browsing on their phone or the Internet.
• Texting or talking on the phone.
• Enjoying company of friends and family.
• Scrolling social media.
• Cooking.

The survey found that, on average, Americans watch 24 hours of television every week. Two thirds of us say we watch TV all or most of the time. In terms of sports, viewers favor football, basketball and baseball—and most prefer to watch games live. When given a choice, sports fans pick their favorite team over their favorite sport.

“This poll hits home for everyone across the country,” said Eric Bruno, senior vice president of product management at Optimum. “We all have busy lives, but in between family, work and school, we all have unique television habits, and it’s interesting to hear about them.”

If you are always asking your friends and family about what’s the next best show to watch, you are not alone. The survey found nearly 40% of us rely on these suggestions to decide what to watch next.

The survey also discovered insights into how we watch television, including:

• Almost 75% of Americans use Amazon Prime and Netflix, more than other streaming services.
• Americans prefer to stream movies and shows more than sports and political news.
• Just 25% of households only have streaming services.

“At Optimum, we are using data like this to make better products for our customers,“ Bruno said. “We’ve reaffirmed that Americans want both streaming and traditional television options, but they want those services to be accessible and easier to understand. By listening closely to consumers and staying flexible to evolve with their habits in mind, we’re working to better meet the needs of our customers and the realities of an ever-changing TV landscape.”

The amount of broadcasters worldwide using artificial intelligence (AI) has more than doubled over the last 12 months, with 25% now employing the technology.

That’s the findings of Haivision’s sixth annual Broadcast Transformation Report, which surveyed nearly 900 broadcast and media professionals between November and December 2024.

It found that a quarter of broadcasters are using AI (up from 9% in 2024), with 64% believing it will have the biggest impact on the industry in the next five years.

The report also found that 41% of respondents anticipate using AI within the next 24 months, although 48% said they had no immediate plans to adopt AI.

In terms of the benefits AI provides to live production workflows, respondents identified efficiency and productivity gains through automation, automated translation and closed captioning, and content creation as the top three.

Other key findings of the report include:

• SRT usage grew by 9%, rising to 77% in 2025. It is the most widely used transport protocol among this year’s respondents, while RTMP, in second place, is used by 58%.
• 76% of broadcasters using cellular networks now rely on 5G, with 21% planning adoption within a year.
• While 86% of respondents use cloud technology in some capacity, 49% said they rely on it for less than a quarter of their workflows (up from 43% in 2024),
• HEVC usage has reached 70% per cent up from 50% in 2021, bringing it closer to H.264’s leading position at 79%.

“The findings in this year’s Broadcast Transformation Report reveal both the exciting innovations and the persistent challenges facing broadcasters today,” said Marcus Schioler, vice president of Marketing at Haivision. “From the continued expansion of SRT, 5G, and AI to the measured adoption of cloud technologies, broadcast ecosystems are evolving to leverage new tools that drive efficiency, enhance production quality, and future-proof their operations.”

The full report is available to download here.

A new survey among media HR professionals identifies broadcast operations professionals as among the most sought after jobs in the content development sector.

According to The Content & Connectivity Human Resources (C2HR) Association’s Annual Compensation Surveys, content companies paid broadcast engineers (electromechanical) 25% more than last year—the highest among all jobs—which covered business/legal affairs, market research, PR and remote/studio operations. Broadcast coordinator was next highest on the list with 18%, followed by business/legal affairs at 14%.

Overall, the professional association—which serves 4,800 members from 50 companies spanning the technology, media and entertainment sectors— reported that compensation growth among connectivity providers (i.e. cable, telco, fiber) was moderate. Base salary increases were smaller than last year, but bonuses and long-term incentives pushed total compensation higher for management and salaried employees. For the third year running, customer care reps claimed a spot on the “high-demand” talent list at connectivity companies, as did construction positions and senior marketing jobs.

“Streaming continues to shape the compensation landscape for C2HR members,” said Parthavi Das, C2HR’s executive director. “The C2HR Compensation Surveys revealed that participants continued to reward talent with specialized skills necessary to excel in the fiercely competitive streaming market while simultaneously ensuring pay raises for all employees.”

Steady Growth for Content Developers
2024 compensation growth was consistent across content jobs, with the exception of executives, who made up for a sluggish 2023. For executives, average total direct compensation (TDC), which comprises base, bonus and equity, increased 8.9%, compared to 2.6% in 2023. The preponderance of that increase came from larger bonus and equity distributions, although base salaries also increased a healthy 4.1%.

In 2024, content middle management accrued 3.1% base salary raises and professional and operating individual contributors (ICs) (non-managers) garnered 3.2% base increases. TDC rose slightly for middle management: 4% versus 3.8% in 2023. TDC for professional ICs rose 3.1%, lagging last year’s 5.2%; and operating IC/support personnel garnered 3% TDC bumps in 2024, versus 3.7% in 2023.

Thirty-eight content developers, employing 39,357 workers, with 889 positions and representing a mix of cable programmers; television, satellite and radio broadcasters; and digital content creators participated in C2HR’s 2024 Compensation Surveys. (See list at end)

Moderate Raises for Connectivity Providers
The C2HR Compensation Surveys also revealed that pay among connectivity providers rose in 2024. Average TDC rose 4.5% for management, up from 3.8% in 2023. Management base salaries increased by 2.0%. Salaried employees achieved 4.4% TDC gains, up from 2023’s 3.1% TDC. Base pay for salaried workers rose on average 3.1% in 2024, which was lower than last year’s 3.9%. Hourly workers accrued modest hikes in 2024: base pay rose 2.6% compared to 3.8% in 2023; total cash compensation (TCC) rose 2.2% compared to 5.6% last year, signifying that bonuses were smaller.

Eleven connectivity companies with 623 positions participated in the survey, including multiple system operators, satellite cable providers and security companies. Together, they represent 98,487 employees.

Specialized Skills Spike Pay
Among the significant findings of C2HR’s Annual Compensation Surveys was the eagerly anticipated list of high-demand talent in content creation and broadband connectivity companies. Positions requiring sought-after skills, particularly those related to streaming, captured the largest salary increases.

“The hot jobs data allow us to identify whether we have any compensation problems at the moment or will in the future for these important positions,” noted Fernando Sanchez, compensation manager at TelevisaUnivision. “This knowledge allows us to take preventive or follow-up actions.”

Predicted Trends
What else can HR professionals expect in 2025? Sanchez expects to see the elimination of siloed jobs in linear and digital programming. “Currently, more dynamic positions are required that can serve both media types on different platforms,” he said. “I also expect to see increased growth of analytics positions that can provide key information for decision-making, trends and new market niches.

Renee Hauch, principal at JM Search and a member of C2HR’s board of directors, expects job candidates to continue valuing chemistry and company culture. “While pay remains an important factor in the decision-making process, it’s often not the ultimate deciding factor,” she said.

“Recently, we worked on a senior-level operations role where the candidate received two comparable offers. Their decision came down to how they felt about their prospective boss, the company culture, and their ability to make an impact,” Hauch continued. “Today, companies are operating with fewer resources and leaner teams. Ensuring the right fit has become more critical than ever.”

2024 C2HR Content Developers Compensation Survey Participants:
A+E Networks
Amazon.com Inc. (Reporting for: Amazon Prime Video)
AMC Networks Inc.
BBC Studios Americas Inc.
Charter Communications Inc.
Chicago Sports Network (“CHSN”)
C-SPAN
DIRECTV LLC
Disney Entertainment Television (Reporting for: ABC Disney Entertainment Television)
ESPN Inc.
FanDuel Group (Reporting for: FanDuel TV)
Hallmark Media United States LLC
INSP LLC
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation (Reporting for: STARZ)
MLB Network LLC
National Basketball Association
National Football League
NBCUniversal Media LLC
Paramount Global (Reporting for: CBS Paramount Global)
PGA Tour Inc.
Playfly Sports
Public Broadcasting Service (“PBS”)
Qurate Retail Group (Reporting for: HSN and QVC)
REVOLT Media and TV LLC
Riot Games Inc.
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.
TelevisaUnivision Inc.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The E.W. Scripps Company (Reporting for: Scripps Networks)
TKO Group Holdings LLC
Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.
WGBH Educational Foundation (“GBH”)

2024 C2HR Connectivity Providers Compensation Survey Participants:
ALLO Communications
Armstrong Group
Cable One Inc.
Charter Communications Inc.
Comcast Cable Communications Inc.
Cox Communications Inc.
DIRECTV LLC
Google Fiber Inc.
Schurz Communications Inc.
TDS Telecom
Ziply Fiber

TV Tech is teaming up with TVBEurope and Avid to host a webinar looking at the impact of artificial intelligence on the media industry.

With so much being written about the technology, how does the industry actually see it? What advantages and challenges does AI offer to broadcasters, and how confident are they about using AI in their workflows today?

The free session on Nov. 26 will take a deep dive into the key findings of an industry survey on the confidence in AI, conducted by Caretta Research on behalf of TVBEurope and TV Tech.

Topics under discussion will include what challenges lie on the road ahead to adopting AI, and where AI is currently making the most impact on broadcast and media workflows, and where it could in the future.

Speakers include Caretta Research co-founder, Robert Ambrose, and Seth Hallen, president of the Hollywood Professional Association and AI expert.

A second session hosted by TVBEurope and Avid on Dec. 3 will focus on the reality of AI today for broadcasters and how it can increase workflow efficiency and creativity. It will include discussions on the ways in which AI can help journalists get their stories to air faster than ever before, and the importance of security when considering the implementation of AI.

Speakers include Avid product evangelist Craig Wilson and Danijela Horak, Head of AI Research, BBC R&D.

Don’t miss out on these webinars with leading experts sharing their knowledge on artificial intelligence. Register for free now.

TV Tech, TVBEurope, and Caretta Research have joined forces to launch the first global, industry-wide survey of how artificial intelligence is being used in the broadcast and media industry.

The survey aims to discover how broadcasters and vendors are adopting AI, what are the barriers to entry, and does the actual adoption live up to the hype.

The ten-minute survey is open to vendors and broadcasters, with the results due to be published at IBC in September.

“Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform the media and entertainment industry in ways we are just beginning to understand,” said Tom Butts, content director for TV Tech. “But what is real and what is vaporware? We’re asking the readers of TV Tech and TVBEurope to help us better gauge what the industry is currently thinking about its impact.”

You can take part in the survey here.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY—Venu Sports, the new sports streaming bundle from Disney, Fox and WBD expected to launch later this year, could attract more than 4 in 10 sports viewers (18+) according to a new report from Horowitz Research.

Horowitz says 42% of respondents to its "State of Media, Entertainment & Tech: Viewing Behaviors 2024" survey conducted March-April 2024 among 2,008 content viewers 18+, said they would likely subscribe to Venu Sports when it becomes available. 

The Horowitz study also finds that the new live streaming service may impact subscriptions to other services. For instance, among sports viewers who are likely to subscribe, nearly 4 in 10 (38%) say they would make changes to their subscriptions. Cancelling their virtual MVPD service is the most mentioned change these viewers would make. Sports viewers indicated that they may also consider cancelling some of their other subscription streaming services and MVPD (traditional cable/satellite) service.

Another recent survey noted that 39% are at least “moderately likely” to cancel their pay TV service in favor of Venu Sports. The subscription price has yet to be announced, but the Wall St. Journal speculates that it will come in at approximately $30-$40 per month. 

As part of a sports streaming bundle, Venu Sports will offer live coverage from ESPN and other linear sports networks in a joint venture between Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Compared to their older counterparts (23%), younger sports viewers (18-34 and 35-49 year-olds, 58% and 57% respectively) are more than twice as likely to subscribe to the new streaming service, according to Horowitz Research’s latest annual report, State of Media, Entertainment & Tech: Viewing Behaviors 2024.

In addition, half of Latine (53%) and Black (50%) sports viewers over-index for likely subscriptions, in comparison to their Asian (40%) and White, non-Hispanic (39%) counterparts.

“Being able to watch live sports has long been an incentive for sports fans to keep their subscriptions to MVPD and vMVPD services,” notes Adriana Waterston, EVP and Insights & Strategy Lead for Horowitz Research, a division of M/A/R/C Research. “This new service will certainly be a game changer – pun intended – that will further disrupt the media ecosystem and make retention even more of a challenge for all players.”

The full State of Media, Entertainment & Tech: Viewing Behaviors 2024 study explores viewing behaviors in the complex media landscape. The report examines share of viewing per platform, the devices they’re watching on, the kind of content they’re consuming, and which services they feel do the best job at delivering the content they seek. 

This year, the study does a deep dive on consumer relationships with FAST services. The survey was conducted in March - April 2024 among 2,008 TV content viewers 18+. Data have been weighted to ensure results are representative of the overall TV universe. The report is available in total market, FOCUS Latinx, FOCUS Black, and FOCUS Asian editions.

NEW YORK—Just over half of U.S. viewers are frustrated over their ability to be able to find content to watch on TV according to Comcast. 

In its report titled, “Content Discovery in a Multiscreen TV World: Surfing and Scrolling in a Sea of Content,” Comcast analyzed trends of how consumers navigate and discover TV content across traditional and streaming in the U.S. and Europe. Based on a survey of 2,500 consumers 18 and over in the U.S., U.K., and Europe, only 25% of respondents said they could access all of their content in one place. 

Nearly two-thirds of the viewers said they spend more than 6 minutes searching for  something to watch, with 51% stating that the difficulty in finding new content can get frustrating.

“In today’s unbundled world of TV, consumers face a lot of challenges when it comes to discovering content. The goal of TV, whether traditional or streaming, has always been to make audiences feel entertained, not frustrated or overwhelmed,” said Travis Flood, Executive Director of Insights, Comcast Advertising. “This research provides actionable insights into the process so that content owners and streaming platforms can improve their offerings to enhance the content discovery experience and provide more value to their viewers.”

The results are of particular importance to Comcast, which partnered with Charter to launched its Xumo streaming platform in 2022, including a “What to Watch” channel.  

“With so much great TV dispersed across an unprecedented number of connected platforms and services, watching TV has become burdensome for consumers,” said Marcien Jenckes, President, Xumo and Managing Director, Comcast Advertising. “Xumo’s goal is to remove this burden and make TV simple again. Our devices run on Comcast’s Entertainment OS, which makes watching TV easy through features like AI and human-driven show recommendations, FAST channel integration in our grid guide experience, and an unparalleled voice search capability.”

The report also indicated that social media is an important component to helping viewers choose, with 55% of U.S. viewers saying they receive recommendations from friends, family, and colleagues. The vast majority—94%—of U.S. viewers said they choose programming based on genre. 

The survey also showed promise for linear TV, perhaps invigorated by the popularity of FAST channels, with 62% of Americans saying they channel surf or scroll through a program guide or app to find what they want to watch.

With Amazon Prime and Roku now launching show previews when viewers fire up their Fire TV or Roku devices, individual platforms are increasing their importance in how viewers choose content. According to Comcast's survey, 51% of U.S. viewers have found and watched content recommended on their home screen and 85% of U.S. viewers are likely to be influenced by ads or show trailers. 

To read the full report, Content Discovery in a Multiscreen TV World, click here.

In the fifth edition of its annual Broadcast Transformation Report, Haivision has revealed some of the top priorities facing the broadcast industry in 2024, with implementing artificial intelligence entering the list for the first time.

The company surveyed more than 800 broadcast and media professionals from October to December 2023.

Asked what their top technological priorities are for 2024, the respondents named enabling remote production and transitioning to IP in joint first place at 44 per cent each. Both technologies were down in popularity from 2023.

Moving to the cloud came third at 38 per cent, followed by supporting 4K and HDR at 35 per cent of respondents. Leveraging 5G followed at 25 per cent of respondents, with implementing AI selected by 24 per cent.

The respondents were also asked about which streaming codecs they are currently using. H.264 was the most common response, employed by 79 per cent of respondents, with HEVC following at 67 per cent for live video contribution. Examining data spanning the past four surveys, there is a sustained growth in broadcasters’ utilisation of the HEVC codec, while H.264 is slowly declining, said the report.

While more than half (58 per cent) of broadcast professionals have implemented IP and cloud-based broadcast infrastructure, a substantial amount (86 per cent) of those surveyed continue to use SDI.

A significant portion of this year’s respondents employ cloud-based workflows (44 per cent), said the report, an increase from 35 per cent in 2023. In terms of what kind of IP technologies they are using, 40 per cent said NDI and 36 per cent said SMPTE ST 2110.

“This year’s results reveal several interesting findings – some past trends are firmly established such as the use of SRT and the internet for live video transport,” said Marcus Schioler, vice president of marketing, Haivision.

“Other trends are still in evolution like the continued growth of HEVC and the use of cloud and cellular networks, while new trends emerge like the adoption of 5G private networks and AI technologies.”

The full report is available to download here.

This article originally appeared on TV Tech sister brand, TVBEurope. 

BOSTON—Global sports fans crave more sports video content but have trouble  accessing it due to the fragmented nature of the sports video market, according to Altman Solon’s 2023  Global Sports Media Survey. The survey of more than 2,500 sports fans from eight major global markets  reveals that 59% say they currently have trouble finding or affording sports content they want to watch while 56% would watch more sports video content if it were available. 

As more professional sports leagues move live games from broadcast to online, streaming services have become big sports  players, through big broadcasting rights deals like Amazon’s and Google's with the NFL and Apple TV+’s with Major League Baseball. U.S. fans also have more options to watch international sports leagues like the  English Premier League and domestic women’s leagues like the WNBA through cable channels and  streaming services. 

The current industry structure in media distribution is not making life easier for fans wanting to discover  and access the content they are passionate about, the researcher said. Of the sports fans who say they have trouble  accessing live sports content, 35% say it’s too expensive to access all the content they want, 30% don’t  know which channels to watch, and 28% don’t know which platforms to watch. 

“It seems counterintuitive that the answer to the glut of sports content is more sports content, but  sports fans are hungry for more,” said Altman Solon Director David Dellea. “It turns out fans actually  want more content, but often can’t afford the costs of additional subscriptions or get lost in the web of channels and streaming platforms providing content. Some form of industry consolidation seems likely,  either through audience aggregation or content democratization, which should be beneficial for both  the industry and sports fans.”  

This year’s survey for the first time included a poll of more than 150 global sports media executives to  understand the priorities and solutions for a changing industry. The executives identify facilitating  content aggregation (65%), improving content promotion (64%), and fostering flexible pricing (58%) as  the top ways to make content more globally accessible. 

The executives also pointed to a transformation in the way consumers view fandom, with more than  half (56%) expecting a continued transition towards a more fluid and athlete-driven fandom, opposed to  loyally following the same teams.  

“It is important to recognize that the way fans consume sports is much different from a generation ago  or even at the end of the past decade,” said Altman Solon Director Matt Del Percio. “While historically  fandom was defined by the local team(s) you follow – and often the team your parents followed—modern sports fans are now more making decisions based on athletes’ on-field performance and off the-field personalities or social media presence.”

Other key findings of the consumer portion of the survey include: 

• Global fans of all ages are multitasking on other digital media while watching sports: 57% browse the internet, 50% use social media, 43% use messaging
• Younger fans average 1.5x more hours online compared to older fans, underscoring the need for sports media to provide multi-platform content experiences
• Average TV hours watched per week is expected to drop 16% by 2040

In developing this report, Altman Solon surveyed 2,500 adults across eight countries, including the U.S. the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, China, between July-August this year. Respondents  represent the country's population, weighted by age, gender, and income. Altman Solon will release  more results from the survey in the coming months. 

Download the full report here: https://landing.altmansolon.com/2023-global-sports-survey

HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—While there’s optimism Writers Guild of America [WGA] members will soon return to work following this week’s announced tentative contract agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, nearly two-thirds of Americans believe their favorite shows will be delayed or canceled due to the strike and the ongoing strike of SAG-AFTRA members, according to software developer Samba TV.

“With the WGA strikes resulting in a tentative deal and all eyes now on SAG-AFTRA, the impact on viewers is already being felt,” said Samba TV co-founder and CEO Ashwin Navin. “While the majority of generations support the strike, they also are expecting major slowdowns with their favorite shows. We believe that no matter what, the industry will emerge with more transparency that will benefit the publishers, writers, talent and viewers alike.”

Samba TV is well-positioned to capture insights into the effects of the work stoppages on viewers. It develops software for a variety of television platforms, ranging from TVs and set-top boxes to smart phones and devices, and provides clients with real-time insights and audience analytics. (Editor’s note: Data for this story comes from Samba TV and HarrisX.)

According to the company, 74% of adults in the United States say they have heard of the strikes. Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation are more aware compared to other generations.

The majority of all generations support the strikes. Eighty percent of Gen Z and Millennials favor the strikes, while two out of three Gen Xers do so, the company said.

The strikes have taken a toll on late-night audience numbers. Comedy Central, ABC, CBS and NBC saw double-digit declines in average daily reach during the late fringe daypart beginning with the start of the WGA strike in May till and through July compared to the same period last year, Samba TV said. 

The broadcast networks were hit particularly hard with viewership declines. They experienced between 46% and 50% as the late-night fare of Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel ceased. Before the strikes, the average episode of the three reached between 680,000 and 780,000 viewers in 2023, it said.

Only HBO saw a year-over-year increase in average daily reach for the fringe daypart, further illustrating the negative impact of not having new episodes on the others, according to Samba TV. 

“The ongoing writers’ and actors’ strikes have had a catastrophic impact on late-night TV viewership. Without jokes and new material, many of the top late-night shows have gone off the air,” said Navin. “As a result, four of the five leaders in late night have seen double-digit decreases in reach during the late fringe time slot, with some losing as much as 50% of their audience during those hours. It remains to be seen how late night will rebound to its previous relevance.”

A new survey on streaming services from Forbes Home says that 47% of respondents pay for streaming services they don’t use. The survey also found that 35% will cancel Netflix if it continues to raise prices or crack down on password sharing.

The survey of 1,000 Americans found that the average consumer subscribes to 2.8 streaming services and that 10% pay for more than five streaming services simultaneously. Millennials and Gen X are the most likely to subscribe with Baby Boomers the least. 

Netflix was found to be the most popular streaming service with 52% of respondents subscribing. Other streaming services were far behind with Amazon Prime garnering 10%, and HBO Max, Apple TV and YouTube TV at 7% (Hulu didn’t make the list).

The Forbes Home survey concluded that the 35% of respondents that said they would cancel Netflix over higher prices or password sharing crackdown could translate into a loss of approximately 80 million subscribers. About 25% of respondents to the survey said they would cancel any streaming subscription if other services followed suit. 

The survey illustrated the ongoing fickleness of consumers with 57% of subscribers signing up with a service to watch just one show, with more than half considering the opportunity to binge watch one show worth the price. A small fraction—4%—ever review how much they’re spending on streaming services and half of respondents said they forgot to cancel a service after the offer of a free limited time subscription expired.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Nearly three quarters of American subscription users are overwhelmed by all the options with 72% saying there are “too many” subscription services available today, according to a new study from Bango. 

Faced with all the options, about 78% would like a single platform to manage all of their subscriptions for TV, music, gaming, fitness, etc. while 79% believe that having all of their subscriptions in one place would help them manage their household expenses in the face of the cost of living crisis.

The survey, which is based on data from 2,500 American consumers currently paying for subscription services, also found that 63% of subscribers say they would pay for more subscriptions if they came as part of a centralized ‘super bundle’.

According to the survey, the average subscriber pays for five different subscriptions each month, while one in five (19%) pay for eight or more. These services don’t just include video streaming, but also span gaming, music, fitness, meal kits and more, Bango reported. 

Nearly half of subscribers (45%) say they find it hard to keep track of where and how they signed up to these subscriptions. A third (35%) have no idea how much they spend in total each month, while 34% say they currently pay for a subscription service that they ‘never use’. 

“Subscription users don’t want less choice, they want less admin,” noted Anil Malhotra, co-founder at Bango explains. “They’re tired of managing multiple services, multiple accounts and paying multiple bills. What’s needed is not fewer subscription services, it’s a way to bundle all those subscriptions together. We need to focus on creating all-in-one solutions that give users the best prices, provide flexibility over bills, and that put subscribers first.”

The current fragmentation of services has led to widespread frustration with managing multiple services, accessing accounts, and paying bills. According to the Bango survey, the top frustrations listed by U.S. subscribers include:

• Managing and updating personal details (48%)
• Accessing accounts across multiple devices (47%)
• Paying bills (43%)
• Canceling subscriptions (43%)
• Renewing contracts and subscription (42%)

 Faced with these challenges, many Americans are avoiding the administration involved in subscriptions altogether, with 39% of those surveyed turning to online piracy to get the user experience they want.

When it comes to building this solution, Bango believes that a new ‘Offers on Demand’ technology is the answer, Malhotra said. This technology operates as an ecosystem of subscription offers and deals spanning Netflix, ESPN, Prime, YouTube, Peloton, Audible, Dropbox, Xbox and more.

‘Super bundles’ such as Australia’s SubHub are already using Offers on Demand technology, while American players like Verizon+ Play are also linking up services to create differentiated offers and bundles, explained the company, which offers its own Offers on Demand technology, Bango Resale.

Malhotra explained that “We like to think of Bango Resale as a ‘digital vending machine’ stocked full of every subscription offer imaginable. Telcos, TV providers and any other large business can plug the machine in, stock it with the subscriptions their customers want and then offer the best combos and deals as part of a standard monthly bill.”

The full report is available here. 

It’s been a general consensus that live sports is among the last genre of TV programming that will keep viewers from canceling their pay-TV subscriptions. But if more sports move to streaming services, will viewers follow? According to research from Aluma, maybe not.

According to a survey the research firm recently conducted, while 18% of pay-TV subscribers are moderately likely to cancel service if their favorite sport moved its live games exclusively to subscription streaming services like Netflix or Prime Video, only 8% would “definitely” cancel.

Among U.S. heads of household that selected professional football (NFL) as their favorite TV sport, 11% would definitely cancel service if it moved exclusively to a streaming service, compared with 7% of those who favor watching professional basketball (NBA) and 8% of those who favor watching professional baseball (MLB).

While responses for the NBA and MLB were in line with analyst expectations, data on those selecting the NFL as their favorite TV sport was well below, especially considering that 80% of live TV sports viewers also subscribe to at least one of the top-5 SVOD services, Aluma said.

“We presented this scenario to survey respondents to get a sense of how bad it could possibly get for pay TV assuming the total shift of high-value sports from broadcast and cable to streaming services could be for pay TV,” said Michael Greeson, founder and director of research at Aluma. “The findings are contrary to the dominant narrative that, without live TV sports, pay TV couldn’t survive. Perhaps live sports are less valuable to pay TV’s stickiness than we’ve long believed.”

Greeson warns that this in no way suggests MVPDs should drop live professional sports from their programming roster. That would miss the point altogether—rather the data suggests that there is something other than live TV sports that keeps most subscribers in place.

What might that be? The same study found complacency plays a significant role in preventing churn. One-third of those less than fully satisfied with their pay TV service continue paying for the service because they’re “just accustomed to having it,” twice the rate that said because “it’s my go to source for live TV sports.”

This data is drawn from a 2022 survey of 2,398 U.S. heads of household that subscribe to a home internet service.

LONDON—Americans aren’t the only ones getting fed up with their pay-TV options, as a recent survey from Cable.co.uk revealed that a majority of the public in Britain are open to changing the current method of funding of the BBC through license fees. Nearly 50 percent of respondents—47.4 percent to be exact—believe that the license fees need to change, while only one-third think it is fine in its current incarnation.

“I believe that the changing attitudes of the general public are down to the rise of alternatives,” said Dan Howdle, Cable.co.uk’s consumer TV and broadband expert. “We can pay a few pounds a month for Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video, Now TV and a host of other more specialist streaming services such as WWE.”

“There is a growing feeling that where Netflix and ilk charges us for what we choose to watch, the BBC forces us to pay whether we watch or not,” continued Howdle.

Respondents also claim that the current price is a cutting off point, as more than 95 percent would be unwilling to pay more than the current ₤145.50/year and only one in five would pay more even if offered more content.

However, there is no strong consensus on an alternative to license fees. The most popular alternative is to keep license fees, but to scale it based on household income; just a little more than 24 percent of respondents agree with that strategy. The second most popular choice at 15.95 percent is to fund the BBC through advertising.

Cable.co.uk conducted this quiz as the BBC charter review is currently underway. The survey consisted of 2,000 individuals who pay the license fee and regularly watched the content offered. For the full results, visit www.cable.co.uk. 

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HERTFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND—OTT might be one of the buzz words in the industry, but live TV is still the people’s champ, according to a recent study completed by Futuresource. The latest report from its “Living with Digital” consumer research study showed that 65 percent of people in the U.S., Canada, England, France, Germany and Australia still go with live TV for their primary viewing.

Despite a number of people dropping pay-TV services because of costs for alternative content sources like OTT, many consumers around the world are continuing to support premium tier pay-TV subscriptions. A third of respondents still using pay-TV subscribe to movie packages, and 40 percent do the same for sports; the U.S. numbers are as high as 57 percent for sports packages. Of the countries polled, France was pay-TV’s biggest supporter with 75 percent of its respondents still subscribing, with the lowest numbers coming from the U.S. and U.K., both of which sit at 59 percent.

OTT numbers are growing, however. Currently, 40 percent of U.S. respondents and 20 percent from the U.K. subscribe to Netflix. Amazon Prime also continues to rise with 23 percent in the U.S. and 10 percent in the U.K. Contributing to that growth is the emergence of connected TVs, with a third of respondents saying they own a connected TV, with 69 percent accessing video or music on it at least once a week, up from 63 percent in the previous study.

It is also shown that video is dominating the market, with 83 percent of respondents consuming all video content formats. Specifically, half of 16-25 year olds use online and connected TVs to view subscription on demand video.

The report also deals with the emergence of paid-for streaming music. To see the full report, click here.