Survey: Mobile DTV Could Change TV Viewing Habits

68% said they would watch more TV if they had access to live mobile TV services, according to Mobile Content Venture

By George Winslow -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/13/2012 12:35:58 PM

A new survey finds strong interest in the mobile digital TV services broadcasters are planning to launch later this year, with nearly seven in 10 (68%) of respondents saying that live mobile TV would increase their television viewing, according to "The Dyle Mobile TV Data Report" released by the Mobile Content Venture.

"These results show that live TV remains an important part of people's lives," said Salil Dalvi and Erik Moreno, co-general managers of the Mobile Content Venture in a statement. "As people upgrade to smartphones and tablets, live TV is a must-have service. Whether you are a wireless carrier or a cable/satellite operator, it seems clear that enabling the 'living room experience' on the go can be a smart business opportunity. The exciting part of all of this is that the technology to deliver this experience in a truly scaleable way is finally here."

The survey of 510 U.S. adults aged 18 to 54 was conducted by Research Now. The Mobile Content Venture is a joint venture consisting of 12 major broadcast groups, Fox, Ion Television and NBC that plan to launch the Dyle mobile TV service this year.

Other highlights of the study include the finding that over 50% of consumers would consider watching mobile TV on smartphones and tablets and that smartphones and tablets will be key devices for receiving the signal, with 61% saying they would like to access mobile DTV services on a smart phone and 54% saying they would like to view the broadcasts on their tablet.

In terms of the service's benefits, 69% cited "being entertained on the go," followed by "staying informed/being in the know" (61%), "keeping kids occupied" (56%), "less worry about missing important TV" (48%), "in case of an emergency" (43%), and "feeding my sports addiction" (31%).

The survey highlighted the importance of news and weather even though this content is readily available online. About 81% said they would be likely to view local news and weather, followed by movies (79%), national news (75%), sitcoms (69%), sports (66%), children's cartoons (65%), drama (64%) and reality fare (53%).

The survey also provided data on a variety of occasions when people were likely to use the service. These include killing time while waiting (85%), entertainment while in transit (76%), entertaining kids in the car (74%), as an additional TV at home (63%), staying connected at sporting events (53%), at the gym (52%), and sneaking some TV time at work (44%).

While proponents of mobile DTV services have struggled to line-up mobile phone carriers as partners for their services, the survey also found that adding the service to a mobile service could help carriers gain market share. About three fifths (61%) of consumers said they would be somewhat or very likely to switch cellphone providers to get mobile TV.