Half of pay TV homes use TV Everywhere services

More than half of consumers in pay TV homes have used TV Everywhere services to watch content, according to a North American study by GfK.

The report says that though ‘TV Everywhere’ as a brand name is still struggling to build awareness among consumers, 53% of pay TV viewers have used these services – up 10 percentage points compared to 2012.

GfK said that mobile devices were the “main driver” of TV everywhere growth, with monthly use of mobile apps and websites from TV providers doubling since 2012.

The study also said among the 13-35 and 36-49 age groups use of mobile TV everywhere sites and apps – as well as smart TV apps – was two to four times higher than for those aged 50-64.

“Consumer education continues to be a critical missing piece of the puzzle for TV Everywhere (TVE),” said David Tice, senior vice-president in media and entertainment at 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.”