Focus on ‘streaming wars’ overshadows changes in entertainment presence | Media Analysis | Business | News

The narrative of television over the past five years has been online over traditional, but Hub Entertainment Research’s latest Video Redefining study shows that TV in all its forms is now competing more with gaming and social media.

This New video redefines research Surveying 1,900 US consumers ages 13-74 in December 2022, the salient findings center on the Gen Z audience, showing how this group now defines “entertainment” quite differently. Specifically, television has been the focal point of the entertainment ecosystem for decades, but for Gen Z consumers, it’s just one of many ways they spend their time.

Viewers over the age of 35 say they spend more time watching TV than any other type of screen entertainment, accounting for 43% of their total screen time, the study found. Only about one-fifth of their time is spent on gaming or non-paid online videos on platforms like YouTube or TikTok. Among 13-24 year olds, the ratio is reversed: less than a fifth (17%) of their screen time is spent watching TV. They spend more than twice as much on games and non-paid video combined.

The difference in content between the youngest and older consumers is also reflected in the screens they use. Both groups allocate about one-fifth of their total screen time to content on smart TVs. But beyond that, device usage appears to be very different between the two groups. That said, viewers over the age of 35 estimate that they spend roughly one-third of their screen time viewing content via a pay-TV set-top box, compared to just 12 percent for mobile entertainment. The 13-24 age group spends the majority of their time (30%) on content on their smartphones, compared to just 8% on set-top box content.

The study also confirmed Tik Tokwhich is said to have quickly become an entertainment center for young consumers. youtube Still the largest player in “non-paid” online video: more than 80% of respondents use it regularly. Two-thirds of respondents aged 13-24 said they had used TikTok in the past week, second only to YouTube.

Of those who use TikTok, 72% say they watch it every day, compared with just 48% of YouTube users in that age group. Of those who use both, more than half (51%) said that if they could only use one, they would choose TikTok over YouTube.

“The ‘streaming wars’ have taken the spotlight when it comes to predicting the future fate of media companies,” said Hub principal Jon Giegengack. “But this belies a much more important shift: the next generation of TV consumers is less engaged with traditional TV itself. Gaming and social video are the focus of their entertainment lifestyles. There’s no reason to assume they’ll get out as they get older.” These habits. Media organizations need to adapt to these changes in order to meet future audiences on the devices and platforms where they will spend the majority of their time.”