Traditional TV Loses Status As First Source of TV Content

More than 8 in 10 American households have access to at least one on-demand TV service, and the proliferation of these content sources is having a dramatic effect on TV viewing behavior, according to Marketing Charts citing  a new data from Hub Entertainment Research.

In its latest analysis of TV content sources, Hub found that for the first time more TV viewers turn to an on-demand source than to live TV for their TV entertainment.

To be fair, live TV remains the single most-used “default” TV source, as a plurality (39%) of respondents said it’s the first thing they turn on when they want to watch TV. However, live TV’s influence has greatly receded, down from being the default source for 47% of viewers last year and 50% in 2013. (These figures are derived from surveys of people who have broadband at home and watch at least 5 hours of TV per week.)

In combination, live TV and over-the-air are the default source of programming for only a minority (44%) of TV viewers this year, down from 54% just a couple of years ago.

Netflix Is Now The Default For Younger Viewers

In a sign of the changing times – and likely foreshadowing what’s to come – Netflix alone has surpassed live TV to become the default source of TV content for 18-34-year-old viewers.

Specifically, more than one-third (35%) say they default to watching content on Netflix first, up from 32% last year. That tops the 26% who turn on live TV first when they want to watch some TV, which is down from 35% last year.

The trends are pointing in the same direction for older viewers, too, but there’s a ways to go before they reach the same milestone.

TV In General Has Far More Appeal With Older Viewers

As expected, those averages mask some significant differences by age. For respondents ages 55-74, for example, 36% default to watching TV as their primary source of entertainment. Just 24% of 18-34-year-olds concur.