Millennials Prefer TV Viewing To Digital Media

Author: Wayne Friedman.  Source: MediaPost

Although new digital media continues to grow among young audiences, traditional ad-supported TV content dominates all new platforms -- even in the summer.

On average, in any given minute, the ad-supported multi-screen TV 18-34 audience is six times larger than Facebook and over two times larger than YouTube in the summer months, according to the Video Advertising Bureau, the video advertising trade group.

For example in July 2017, all traditional ad-supported TV and their online digital platforms pulled in an average minute audience for those 18-34 viewers of 5.9 million. At the same time, YouTube was at 2.7 million; Facebook, 1.1 million; Instagram, 641,000; SnapChat, 506,000; and Twitter 79,000.

When looking at the broader TV viewership -- all viewers 18 years and older -- the differences are greater. Traditional ad-supported TV and their online digital platforms pulled in 40.3 million viewers when looking at average minute audience; YouTube was at 5.4 million; Facebook, 3.5 million; Instagram, 781,000; SnapChat, 565,000; and Twitter, 141,000.

The analysis comes from Nielsen Npower Time Period Report of 18-34 viewers for live program plus seven days of time-shifting. It includes ad-supported TV brands representing all measured ad-supported cable networks, broadcast TV and MVPDs.

Digital media data came from comScore Media Trend data except for YouTube data, which is based on VAB analysis of comScore Video Metrix.

The VAB notes there are many media platforms and other leisure activity distractions for all consumers in the summer -- which would seem to take away from TV usage. But it adds that ad-supported TV, in looking at many measures -- including reach and time spent -- only witnesses minimal drop off.

Traditional TV networks have been adding much more original summer content over the last few years.

TV, as a device, also remains strong, it says.

In the second quarter of this year, young 18-34 viewers posted an average minute audience of 7 million for TV, live plus time-shifting. AM/FM radio was next 4.6 million; TV-connected devices, 3.2 million. Content on PC computers were next -- and 1.3 million for streaming video content with 53,857 for audio on PCs. After this comes smartphone use -- 582,741 average minute audience for video; 422,687, for audio.

This data comes from Nielsen Comparable Metrics cata based on average week between March 27, 2017 and June 25, 2017.