Mobile devices are the main driver of the growth, GfK says, with monthly use having doubled since 2012 for mobile apps and mobile sites from service providers and broadcasters alike. Viewers are turning to traditional TVE websites - viewable via computers - at roughly the same rates as three years ago, 13%.
Not surprisingly, young adult consumers reported stronger use of TV Everywhere services. Among Generations Y (age 13-35) and X (age 36-49), use of mobile TVE sites and apps - as well as smart TV apps - was two to four times higher than for Baby Boomers (age 50-64). This pattern holds for broadcaster and service provider offerings alike.
Despite the growth in TVE use, only 25% of consumers (ages 13 to 64) report having heard of the expression "TV Everywhere," essentially the same level as in 2012. And though three-quarters of TVE users say that they find it easy to locate programs they want to view and sign in, many seem unaware of key features, and the need for authentication continues to discourage some potential adopters.
"Consumer education continues to be a critical missing piece of the puzzle for TV Everywhere," wrote David Tice, SVP in media and entertainment at GfK. "With a notable proportion of people in pay TV homes already using TVE, greater awareness and understanding of the services could drive even higher adoption. Greater success of TV Everywhere could help pay TV services stave off becoming 'dumb' broadband pipes, and also assist TV networks in maintaining their status as the original aggregators of high quality video content."