More Adults Watching Video on Non-TV Devices

By Tom Butts
last updated

LRG study shows 83% of households now subscribe to SVOD

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

DURHAM, NH—The migration away from the TV set as the most popular source of news and entertainment in the American household continues as a new consumer research study from Leichtman Research Group finds that 59% of adults in the U.S. watch video on non-TV devices (including mobile phones, home computers, tablets, and eReaders) daily—compared to 55% in 2020, 43% in 2017, and 18% in 2012.

Not surprisingly younger individuals are most likely to watch video on non-TV devices, LRG found: Among all ages 18-34, 83% watch video on a non-TV device daily—compared to 64% of ages 35-54, and 35% of ages 55 and above.

Other related findings include:

  • 51% of adults watch YouTube on a non-TV device daily, followed by news clips at 35%
  • 50% of adults watch video on a mobile phone daily, up from 44% in 2020, and 33% in 2017
  • 83% of households have a subscription video on-Demand (SVOD) service from Netflix, Amazon Prime, and/or Hulu, compared to 78% in 2020, and 64% in 2017
  • Overall, 64% of U.S. households now have more than one SVOD service, compared to 55% in 2020, and 33% in 2017
  • 43% of all adults stream a top SVOD service daily, compared to 40% in 2020, and 29% in 2017
  • Including 11 additional streaming video services, the mean number of SVOD/DTC services among all households is 3.6, compared to 2.9 in 2020

“Nearly 60% of adults now watch video on a non-TV device daily.  This includes half of all adults watching video on a mobile phone every day, up from one-third of adults five years ago,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group, Inc.  “While non-TV devices provide the ability to watch video anywhere, the most common location for watching video on non-TV devices continues to be in the home.  Eighty-two percent of those who watch video on a mobile phone, and 85% of those who watch video on a tablet or eReader, do so at home.”

These findings are based on a survey of 1,900 households nationwide and are part of a new LRG study, Emerging Video Services 2022.  This is LRG’s 16th annual study on this topic.

Tom Butts
Tom Butts

Tom has covered the broadcast technology market for the past 25 years, including three years handling member communications for the National Association of Broadcasters followed by a year as editor of Video Technology News and DTV Business executive newsletters for Phillips Publishing. In 1999 he launched digitalbroadcasting.com for internet B2B portal Verticalnet. He is also a charter member of the CTA's Academy of Digital TV Pioneers. Since 2001, he has been editor-in-chief of TV Tech (www.tvtech.com), the leading source of news and information on broadcast and related media technology and is a frequent contributor and moderator to the brand’s Tech Leadership events.