Pay TV: Tablets and Phones Up, PCs Down

As paid video content becomes more available via different distribution channels, tablet and wireless phone-viewing usage has increased, while PC/Mac-viewing usage has decreased from 2011, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 U.S. Residential Pay-to-View Study.The study indicates that 18% of customers use tablets for viewing paid video content, making them the most-often-used handheld device, up from 11% in 2011. Usage by wireless phone customers increased to 16%, up from 14% in 2011. Overall, 29% of video service customers watch paid content on a handheld device. PC/Mac viewing of paid content has declined to 39% from 48% in 2011. However, more than 50% of viewers still watch live TV programming.The study also indicates that when selecting a video service provider, 21% of Gen Y customers consider mobility a factor, compared with only 9% of Baby Boomers. Nearly one-fourth (23%) of customers view paid content via gaming consoles, compared to those who view paid content via handheld devices (29%). However, customers who view content on a gaming console watch 6.3 hours per week, compared with 5.3 hours on a PC/Mac; 4.9 hours on a wireless phone; 4.5 hours on a music player; and 4.4 hours on a tablet.