Time-shifted TV watched most by 43% of people, says Virgin Media

Roughly 43% of people mostly watch time-shifted TV with 20% now tuning in to live TV only for “must-see moments,” according to a new study by UK pay TV operator Virgin Media. 

Using data collected from more than 2.3 million Virgin Media TiVo set-top boxes, the operator found that only 30% of people predominantly watch live TV and that one fifth of all TV is now watched in a time-shifted format – either on-demand or as a DVR recording.

Virgin said that a “boom in series stacking” and the availability of entire box sets on demand have driven the growing popularity of time-shifted TV.

One in ten people said they dedicate all their viewing time to a single series at a time, with 40% switching between different series depending on their mood.

Recorded TV series and shows are also typically watched within 14 days of their broadcast, while movies are kept for longer and often watched at the weekend, said Virgin.

Looking at second screen habits, 34% of people were found to use second screens while watching TV, while 78% of these multi-taskers typically checked and updated social media sites.

“Virgin Media data shows customers are being influenced by social media recommendations. They are quick to set up a series link when a show trends online, giving rise to a surge in ‘reflex recording,’” said Virgin.