In the regions surveyed, more consumers prefer to watch live-streamed events than on-demand content via streaming services (31%) or programming scheduled by broadcasters (29%).
40% of viewers prefer live-streamed events over other types of TV content, according to a survey of users in the UK, US, Spain, Germany, France, and Nordic countries. The independent study was commissioned by Nevion, a Sony group company, and conducted by research firm Vitreous World.
Unlike other content, live programming is resonating with different demographics. The results show it is breaking the generation gap by being universally popular across age ranges.
Of the top three types of content currently available to consumers, live streaming of events is the preferred choice of 58% of 18-24-year-olds and 31% of those aged 65+.
Nearly one in five (19%) watch live broadcasts with another person in person at least once a day, and 59% use social media or messaging platforms to talk to friends and family about key moments.
As participation in live events remains high, live broadcasters need to look at how they can continue to engage new subscribers while keeping existing customers subscribed to live event channels.
High visual quality (30%) and targeted content offerings (24%) are vital to keep consumers subscribing, so broadcasters should focus on delivering these benefits now and in the future. Looking ahead to the next 12 months, a quarter of consumers surveyed (25%) say they will primarily consume live-streamed events.
Olivier Suard, vice president of marketing at Nevion, noted that these results show that live streaming of events is not only more popular than on-demand and scheduled programming but is a powerful unifier between generations.
“Broadcasters now have a great opportunity to leverage the unique advantages of live events to attract new customers and retain the interest of current ones. With the right technology, they can transform the logistics and economics of mission-critical live production to create compelling new types of content with the highest visual quality,” the executive concluded.
