Mobile time to surpass TV time in 2019

Adults in the US will spend more time using their mobile devices than watching their TVs, a new study has found.

According to eMarketer, US adults will spend an average of 3 hours and 43 minutes (3:43) on mobile devices daily, excluding voice time, while they will spend 3:35 watching TV.

In 2018, the average time spent on mobile was 3:35, with TV clocking in at 3:44.

eMarketer principal analyst Yoram Wurmser said: “We’ve expected that mobile would overtake TV for a while, but seeing it happen is still surprising. As recently as 2014, the average US adult watched TV nearly 2 hours longer than they spent on mobile devices.”

The majority of that mobile time (70%) will be spent on smartphones, reaching 2:33. This is an increase of 9 minutes from 2018.

However, the report points out that this is not necessarily bad news for the TV.

“While time spent watching traditional TV is declining, the networks already monetise their content that is viewed on OTT services like Netflix or Hulu,” said eMarketer forecasting analyst Eric Haggstrom. “Soon-to-be-released streaming services from Disney, WarnerMedia and NBCU may allow them to monetize their content more effectively. Whether or not these services gain traction and replace lost audiences remains to be seen.”

 

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