Dive Brief:
- Live TV is still the top media channel for time spent, but digital has passed live TV for 18-49-year-olds, according to Nielsen's Q1 2016 Total Audience Report.
- The 18-34-year-olds demographic spent the most time on digital (39%) and the least on live TV (29%), while the over-50 demographic spent the most on live TV (53%) and the least on digital (21%).
- Radio has the most total users, the study also found, while mobile devices have surpassed personal computers in total users.
Dive Insight:
New research on consumers' preferred media channels comes out all the time, but while the numbers may differ, the trend is the same—TV and radio audiences have largely remained stable, while growth is coming from computers and mobile devices. Separate research from a number of groups all forecast that digital ad spending will outpace TV by next year at the latest.
It's worth noting that TV's total numbers are a lot bigger than any others, as the study differentiated between live TV viewing and time-shifted viewing, such as DVR-ed programs. Together, time-shifted and live TV easily make up the highest overall user number. The report didn’t address the concept of second screening, where people are actively engaged with a mobile device or other second screen while viewing TV.
One finding that should be of interest to marketers is that power users (the top 20%) in each category make up the majority of the time spent on each. Smartphone video was a key example of this: 83% of smartphone video is consumed by the top 20% users. This shows how important it is for marketers to understand where their audience is active, and then make sure to reach that audience where they can be found. If a brand’s key audience are often smartphone video power users, mobile video ads and content should be a major part of their marketing strategy.
