Apple devices dominate video content

A new Adobe report examining the current online video viewing trends shows that iPhones, iPads and Apple TVs lead the way in accessing video content whether at home or on the move. The Apple TV set top box is now the most popular way of accessing Everywhere TV (the term Adobe applies to internet-accessed subscription based programming) and as such is at the spearhead of a growing trend which is also seeing consumers turning more frequently to games consoles like the latest Xbox and set-top streaming units like the Roku for a premium content fix. Between Q1 2014 and Q1 2015 TV Everywhere viewing has grown by 282% according to Adobe data, and over the past three months, the Apple TV has grown its share from 5% to 10% making it the most popular single device. Surges in popularity can often be attributed to singular events usually of a sporting nature, Adobe gives the example of the Fifa World Cup but, the company notes with no ‘event’ programming over the first three months of the year, that this growth has to be considered as “organic” according to Tamara Gaffney, principal analyst at Adobe Digital Index. “It goes to show that this industry is taking off, and, clearly, that’s why Apple is trying to get out in front of it.” In mobile, it’s a similar picture, iPads and iPhone account for 82% of all unauthenticated video viewing and mobile devices in general now account for 24% of all video starts. On Wednesday, the PwC Global Entertainment and Media Report for 2015-2019 detailed how flexibility and simplicity were driving consumers’ video viewing trends. So much so that it declared 2015 would be the year where revenues from paid-for digital downloads or streams would overtake revenues generated from DVD sales. The report also highlighted that due to the inherent flexibility of digital, that over the top TV services and content streaming services were poised for explosive growth as they packaged traditional high-quality TV shows or features in a way that most closely aligns with digital consumers’ expectations and lifestyles. “What matters is the ability to combine content with a user experience that’s differentiated and compelling on the consumer’s platform of choice,” said Marcel Fenez, PwC’s Global leader, entertainment and media. The Adobe report, which is based on over 200 billion individual video view and activity across 11,000 US sites and 7,000 sites further afield, paints a very similar picture. “The key takeaway from our analysis is that the streaming video space is growing fast, and Apple is growing by building out an ecosystem of devices as it relates to that space,” Gaffney said. “Consumers now are in control and are changing when and how they watch TV.” AFP