Average Video Viewing Time Rises to 43.5 Hours Per Week in the US; Do Streamers Need More Phone-Specific Content?
New data from Parks Associates shows viewers are increasingly willing to watch non-social videos on their mobile devices.
Video has been the primary mode of entertainment for American audiences for decades. The mediums through which viewers access video are constantly changing, but it all adds up to the same thing: people love TV and movies. New data compiled and analyzed by Parks Associates shows that average video viewing time in households in the United States has risen to 43.5 hours per week across all devices, but its numbers also show that platforms like Max and Disney+ may want to start offering mobile-exclusive content if they want to keep building engagement with subscribers.
- Nearly 90% of viewers watch at least one hour of subscription video services each week.
- The average household also spends 6.5 hours per week watching non-social videos on their phones.
- Streamers should spend more time trying to capture engagement from mobile users, giving customers reasons to watch across platforms.
The data from Parks shows that more than 80% of customers watch subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services for at least one hour each week. Sixty-one percent of households watch such services on smart TVs, watching 7.5 hours of content per week from these sources on average.
Viewers are also varying their habits by engaging with free ad-supported streamers like Pluto TV, Tubi and Plex. Parks’ data shows that 50% of people who consume video on a viewing device (smart TV, computer, tablet, or phone) watch ad-supported streaming at least once a week, a clear response to the rising prices of subscription streaming and the need for customers to seek video from unpaid sources.
“The flexibility and convenience that on-demand services offer is highly appealing to viewers, but many households enjoy a balance between finding something to watch and watching what they find,” said Parks analyst Sarah Lee. “Given the popularity of FAST and user-generated content, consumers may soon decide they do not need to subscribe to as many services as they do now.”
Should Streamers Be More Focused on Phones?
The numbers from Parks also show that viewers are spending quite a bit of time streaming video on their phones. A good chunk of the 43.5 hours per week American households spend watching video each week is done on mobile devices; internet-equipped homes consume an average of 6.5 hours of video not sourced from platforms like YouTube or TikTok each week on their phones, and another 3.9 hours watching on tablets.
This suggests that streaming platforms should try to create new and varied experiences for customers to enjoy on their phones. If viewers are spending so many hours per week on their phones watching video, streamers should do everything they can to ensure their platforms are the first stop for viewers when they open their devices.
Disney+ and Max are already accustomed to working with device manufacturers to provide a diverse viewing experience. Both streamers created new, dedicated apps for the Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset ahead of its launch in February, allowing viewers to experience specially-themed digital environments that they won’t find on any other viewing source.
Until recently, Netflix offered a mobile-only experience in the form of its games. But recently, Netflix began working on ways to expand its games to smart TVs in order to boost their usage among customers. Streamers are not philosophically averse to creating content and experiences that customers can only find on non-TV devices, but the trick is figuring out how to make a mobile streaming experience distinct from what viewers can find on larger screens and attractive enough to ensure that particular service is a customer’s first destination when they turn to their phone.
Does that mean the adoption of more social media features, perhaps including user-generated video on streaming platforms? Or could it lead to rewards programs that offer viewers benefits if they log into streamers on more than one device per week? There are lots of options available, and Parks’ data clearly indicates that platforms that pursue mobile viewers will have an audience ready and waiting.
Video will continue to remain the top source of entertainment for American audiences for the foreseeable future until mixed and virtual reality technology makes meaningful leaps forward and become more affordable. Customers are watching on a wide range of devices, and many are choosing to consume video on their phones, suggesting that streaming services have an opportunity to boost engagement by going after this audience segment.
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”