Viewers want content on the move, claims Motorola research

Changing viewing habits have not dented content consumption, though 76% said they would be interested in a service that automatically loads programming to a mobile device to enjoy on the move, according to new research.

Motorola Mobility’s Fourth Annual Media Engagement Barometer found that TV viewing had risen from 10 hours per week in 2011 to 19 hours in 2012, while film viewing was up from 5 hours to 6 hours per week.

However, John Burke, senior vice president and general manager of converged Solutions at Motorola Mobility, said that the research, which looked at consumption habits of 9,500 customers across 17countries, showed that consumers are frustrated.

“Increasingly, they’re using tablets and smartphones to view their content, and they expect this experience to transition seamlessly across their favourite programs, whenever and wherever they like,” he said.

Smartphones and tablets are now watched in the bedroom by 46% and 41% of people respectively – more than broadcast TV, which stood at just 36%. These portable devices are also used in less-conventional rooms, for example 10% of tablets are used in the kitchen, the research found.

In spite of this, the living room remained the centre of home entertainment consumption. On average, 50% watch broadcast TV in the living room, though in Sweden and the UK this was as high as 81% and 75%.

Some 29% of all weekly TV content that is consumed is recorded on DVRs, but live viewing still dominates – particularly news, which is watched by 73% as it airs, claimed Motorola. Though DVR owners watch an average of one hour more content a week, 36% of all content recorded is never actually viewed.