Nielsen Report: The Q1 2016 Total Audience Report...SVOD Penetration reaches new levels!

Today Nielsen released to the industry our Q1 2016 Total Audience Report. This version of the Total Audience Report takes a hard look at trends in total media usage, platform penetration and how the heaviest users of certain drive overall usage! Off the record, we think there are a lot of interesting storylines that are emerging here!

Some key report highlights:

  •        Devices Vs. Platforms…a milestone. The penetration of Subscription-based Video On Demand (SVOD) services— such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime— now equals that of DVR penetration, with both available in 50% of U.S. TV households. In fact, while DVR penetration has been relatively stable over the last few years, SVOD penetration continues to grow.

·       Total appetites! The total media consumption among U.S. adults has increased with an additional hour of overall time spent being consumed per day over different devices and platforms as compared to the prior year.

·       Live TV Declines Slower. The decline in Live TV usage among U.S. adults is showing signs of slowing. In Q1 2016, U.S. adults spent an average 4 hours 31 minutes tuning into Live TV— about 3 minutes less than in Q1 2015. In fact, the decline in Live TV from 2015 to 2016, however, is less pronounced than that of 2013 to 2014, which saw average daily time spent shrink by 16 minutes.

Below is the FULL corresponding Wire post. Please feel free to write about these insights, linking back to the report and sourcing Nielsen.

Milestone Marker: SVOD and DVR Penetration Are Now On Par With One Another

Much has been talked these days about the growing business of subscription-based video on demand (SVOD)—be it networks looking to sell streaming rights of popular TV series or studios creating critically acclaimed offerings that move directly from studio to SVOD services. So knowing how consumers are adopting, interacting and using platforms and devices is paramount for the industry in order for players in this space to efficiently operate.

According to findings presented in Nielsen's first-quarter 2016 Total Audience Report, SVOD services have reached a milestone. For the first time, the U.S. penetration of these services has caught up to DVR penetration. In fact, half of all homes in the U.S. have access to SVOD services, such as Netflix or Hulu—equaling U.S. DVR penetration.

SVOD penetration has been rising steadily over the past year, illustrating that viewers have a continued desire to control what they watch and when they watch it. And in many cases, that means more playback options is better. In fact, close to 30% of homes have a both DVR and access to SVOD—up nearly 20% from last year.

Can there ever be too much of a good thing? For digital viewers, the answer to this Shakespearian conundrum is a resounding "No!">