Consumers may be somewhat aware of the “TV everywhere” (TVE) services provided by networks and pay TV operators, but relatively few have used them, details GfK in a new study. In particular, pay TV operators face an uphill climb: just 30% of the consumers in pay TV homes surveyed said they have ever used their services, with 52% aware of them. TVE services from TV networks have both higher awareness (64%) and use (37%).
That same pattern applies to mobile platforms, too. While 30% of respondents said they’ve used a network’s mobile site to access TVE features (and 34% have used a network’s application), those figures drop to 25% and 26%, respectively, for pay TV services.
If consumer use of these services is to increase, providers may need to rethink authentication, in which users need to submit a username and password to gain access. According to the study, authentication would at least somewhat deter 7 in 10 TVE users, with one-quarter being deterred “a lot.” The researchers note that distaste is particularly high among older respondents, aged 50-64.
About the Data: For its study, “TV Everywhere 2012: A How People Use® Media Report”, GfK screened 1,275 people (ages 13 to 64) for having pay TV service in their households; of these, 1,008 people identified as pay TV subscribers answered the full TV Everywhere survey.