Commercial Sources Still Dominate Video Viewing in Canada
Among Screens Used for Viewing, the Big Screen (TV) Remains King
Reflecting back to "yesterday", eight in ten (79%) Canadians aged 18+ spent nearly 7 hours (6.6 hours) engaging with some form of media. Breaking this time down by specific media activities, Canadians on average spent 47% of their time "watching", compared to 20% of their time "browsing", 12% of their time "listening", 9% "reading", 6% "gaming" and 6% utilizing a "social network" tool. Moreover, the time spent "watching" was dominated by commercial sources - 83%, rather than non-commercial (e.g., video subscription services, online stores for digital content, or premium TV network websites/online subscriptions ) - 5%, or "grey zone" sources (e.g., video found on free video-streaming websites, social networking sites, peer-to-peer websites, and those on disc) - 12%. Even among those aged 18 to 34, "watching" (39%) outpaces "browsing" (25%), and among those who watch, commercial television (64%) still dominates non-commercial TV (12%) and the grey zone (25%).
In time figures, among those who watched "yesterday", viewers spent on average 3 hours and 18 minutes watching via commercial sources, compared to an average of just 12 minutes watching non-commercial sources, and 30 minutes from grey zone. For young adults, commercial viewership (2 hours) still outpaced non-commercial (24 minutes) and grey zone (48 minutes).
Not only do commercial sources still dominate, but so too does the traditional television set. Eight in ten (80%) viewers watched on a television set, while 15% viewed on a PC or laptop and even fewer watched on a smartphone (2%), tablet (2%), or a Media Player (1%). A similar pattern exits among young adults, most (69%) of whom continue to watch through a traditional TV set, while 23% watch through a PC, and fewer utilize a smartphone (4%), tablet (3%) or Media Player (1%).
In fact, most (89%) Canadians still have a television, a significantly higher proportion than those who have a smartphone (57%), tablet (28%), or Digital Media Receiver (Apple TV, Google TV, etc.) at 9%. Below outlines various forms of the media that Canadians own or use for personal purposes:
Among those with a TV, most (86%) Canadians have a flat panel TV (75% a HD TV, 19% a SD TV, 5% a 3D TV, and 13% a Smart TV that is internet enabled), while 36% of Canadians still utilize a tube TV.
Regarding their motivations for viewing, TV shows and programs play a variety of roles in the lives of Canadians. Chief among them is as a form of escape, acting as a source of entertainment (68%), a way to relax (61%), to unwind (59%), and to take a break from real life (40%). For others it is a companion, something they watch when alone (57%), or to pass time (55%), and provide a distraction (42%) and sense of comfort (41%). For many, viewing provides them with social currency, providing them with something to talk about with friends and family (43%), a way to spend time with them (37%), and a way to connect with them.
At a high level, viewing TV shows/programs is a regular part of their day; a routine activity (54%) or a pastime (51%) and for nearly half (48%), a habit.
To view a topline of The New TV Landscape presentation, please visit www.tvb.ca/pages/TV
To view a copy of release provided by TV, please click here
These findings are based on two phases of research, an online Diary conducted November 26 - December 17, 2013 and an Attitudinal survey conducted in December 2 - December 17, 2013 on behalf of the Television Bureau of Canada (TVB). For this survey a sample of 3,500 Canadians were collected for the Diary and 2,500 Canadians for the Attitudinal research, each from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the polls are accurate to within +/- 1.9 and +/- 2.2 percentage points, respectively speaking, had all Canadians adults been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Sean Simpson
Vice President
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 572-4474
[email protected]
About Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.
To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.
About Ipsos
Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. Ipsos ranks third in the global research industry.
With offices in 86 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management.
Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.
Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of e1,712,4 million (2 274 M$) in 2013.
Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos' offerings and capabilities.
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