‘TV Everywhere’ Use Is Growing But Does Anyone Know What It Is?

“TV Everywhere” has enabled consumers to take their favorite shows with them as they opt to view on mobile, websites or smart TV apps. A new report from market research organization GfK delves into the growth of the technology since 2012. GfK cites that overall, 42 percent in pay-TV households have used TVE-based offerings in one form of another. By comparison, 46 percent have used some extent of TV network based services to watch their favorite programming.

 

While only 25 percent of overall consumers in the age 13 to 64 bracket have heard of the expression “TV Everywhere,” they’ve certainly been using it. As Gen Y opts to take their entertainment to go, mobile has been the driving factor in TVE’s success, with usage doubling on mobile apps and websites since 2012. While TVE has been successful for pay TV providers, there is room to grow. Consumers could understand what TVE services are available to them to start.

“Consumer education continues to be a critical missing piece of the puzzle for TV Everywhere,” said David Tice, senior vice president in Media and Entertainment for GfK. “With a notable proportion of people in pay TV homes already using TVE, greater awareness and understanding of the services could drive even higher adoption. Greater success of TV Everywhere could help pay TV services stave off becoming ‘dumb’ broadband pipes, and also assist TV networks in maintaining their status as the original aggregators of high quality video content.”

This will be key for wider adoption of TVE viewing among cord-cutters and “cord-nevers,” with young people flocking to TVE services in higher numbers.

A turning point could be looming in 2016. IPTV News indicates that 23 percent of authentications with TVE are happening with connected TV devices, with a majority (13 percent) being from Apple, followed by Roku (7 percent). With overall consumption growing a staggering 102 percent year-over-year, it’s going to become even more popular as consumers purchase new smart TV’s. That’s a great incentive for pay TV networks and providers to get the word out and good news for marketers who want more options to target consumers where ad completion is high. TV Everywhere ad views jumped 591 percent last year alone.