March 6, 2009 - As pressure mounts for operators to enable the delivery of online video to the TV - and as the opportunity for Over-the-Top providers broadens - it becomes important to identify which types of online video content are most appealing to would-be viewers.
TDG recently asked adult broadband users to answer the following question using a 7-point scale, with "1" meaning "Of no interest whatsoever," "4" meaning "Neutral/uncertain," and "7" meaning "Extremely interested":
How interested are you in viewing the following types of online content on your TV?
Nine types of online content were evaluated, ranging from local broadcast programs (think local or regional ABC or NBC affiliates, for example) to professional video developed only for Internet distribution (think Revision3 or NextNewNet). Responses are summarized below.
As noted, local content from broadcast affiliates (e.g., local news, sports, and social programming) tops the list at 3.71 on the 7-point scale. Interestingly, national broadcast programming that has been pushed online (e.g., nbc.com and cbs.com) ranked third at 3.68, slightly behind User-Generated Content (UGC) at 3.69. In fact, four of the five most highly ranked online content genres represent TV content that has been put on the Internet. What are consumers telling us (and why) when they indicate that the online content most preferred for TV delivery is actually content already being offered on the TV?
The "what" - Consumers have preferred, do prefer, and will for some time prefer professional video content distributed by TV broadcasters, their local affiliates, and cable networks. With relatively few exceptions (only one in the figure above, UGC), it is TV programs and movies that consumers find most compelling and want shifted from the web to their TV - at least as it stands today.
The "why" - Consumers want on-demand access to their favorite video programming on their schedule; to be viewed at their convenience and on the display of their choice - such is the underlying message this data communicates. TDG's research continues to support the idea that consumers increasingly view the web as a cloud-based virtual DVR, one which always "saves" their favorite programs for on-demand viewing even when they don't remember to set their DVR.
Those looking to defend against Over-the-Top broadband video delivery should strongly consider what these insights imply about the future of television services. If today's TV operators are to remain relevant, they must make all of their programming available for quantum consumption - at any place, at any time, and on any device, and customized for each individual viewer. If the "TV of tomorrow" can deliver this type of experience in a seamless, easy-to-use fashion, then traditional TV operators will remain relevant and avoid what many argue is their inevitable end - becoming little more than a dumb-pipe provider.
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