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Younger TV viewers record; older viewers wait for re-runs

18 Dec 2007

A new study by The Nielsen Company says that younger adult viewers are two-and-a-half times more likely than older viewers to be technologically proactive in catching up on television shows they missed.

The study shows that 56% of 18-34 year old adults use new technologies such as digital video recorders, the Internet, video on demand and MP3 players to follow their favourite series, compared to 21% for viewers over age 55.
Steve McGowan, Nielsen Senior Vice President, Client Research Initiatives, concludes that "… since technology adoption is increasing within all age groups, this study gives us a glimpse into a future when all viewers will take more initiative to catch up on shows they have missed… (which) will have tremendous implications on how networks schedule and distribute their programming."
When watching streaming television over the Internet:
• 50% of viewers reported going to ABC.com
• 41% to NBC.com
• 37% to CBS.com
Among other highlights from the full study:
• 32% of men and 27% of women relied upon the DVR to stay current
• 25% of respondents said they had watched a full-length episode streamed online in the past three months, led by 18-34 year olds (39%)
• 11% of older (55+) respondents said they had done so.