Consumers Demand More — 23% More — Anytime, Anywhere TV

The 2011 Motorola Media Engagement Barometer Survey shows Dramatic Shift in Traditional TV Viewing Experience.

Don’t look now, but mobile viewing is here to stay! Motorola’s 2011 Media Engagement Barometer tells the exciting — dare we say industry changing? — story. According to this year’s MEB survey, 23% of people surveyed watch mobile TV on their smartphones — up nearly five-fold from 2010.

Survey results show we’re in the middle of the most dramatic and exciting industry convergence of the last twenty years — which means the time to embrace change is now. And why not? Mobile viewing adds value to your services, improves customer loyalty, and opens new revenue streams.

MEB clearly shows smartphones and tablets aren’t the whole story, either. Social TV has a part to play in this story, too. Simply put, mobile viewers like to discuss what they watch on social media. These numbers are pretty impressive, too: 37% of smartphone viewers, for example, chat about their favorite TV shows with friends this way. That’s a 30% increase over our 2010 numbers. With growth like that, new services — and new revenues — are right around the corner.

Mobile video services and Social TV converge here: consumers want to access Social TV services from their PCs, smartphones, or tablets. Over 89% of respondents used social networks to comment on programs as their preferred social TV service. People worldwide preferred a service that allows them to video chat with family and friends.

How do we know? Simple: the story is in the numbers — 69% of global and 23% of US respondents told us they want flexible media content they can access from their tablets and smartphones. Those numbers reflect a sea change in consumer viewing habits. Mobile TV viewing on smartphones, for example, increased nearly 500% from 2010. The bottom line? Consumers want new, on-the-go video services, and that demand will grow along with tablet and smartphone sales.

MEB is a Motorola Mobility media study of consumer television and video preferences and habits. We surveyed the consumption habits of 9,000 consumers in 16 global markets using an online, closed-question 20–25 question form. The answers provide insights into what services consumers are accessing, their preferences for these services (and what they would pay for them), the device and locations from which they are accessing them, and to what extent they are integrating Internet and social media services into their video viewing habits.

So how does the story end? We don’t know, because it won’t end anytime soon. These changes, and more, will continue through 2012 and beyond. This much we do know: as consumers demand content and services that reflect their on-the-go lifestyles, service providers will continue to see huge opportunities for “mobilizing” their core services. Don’t become obsolete — the times have a’changed.

Motorola Mobility creates the solutions service providers need to transform television and video experience now and in the future.

Contact us for more information on how we can help you meet today's changing consumer demands.