Abstract:
Over the past few years, we have witnessed an expanding range of viewing devices and new content offerings by online streaming services (such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu) through over-the-top (OTT) devices. Nearly 20% of U.S. households own at least one OTT device, such as a Roku, Amazon Fire TV, or Apple TV (Park Associates 2015). As these trends keep increasing, there have been debates on whether online streaming will replace traditional (or cable) TV in near future. Furthermore, questions have been raised around whether OTT viewing, via Apps, is cannibalizing or complementing network oriented TV viewing. Does multiple layers of ownership/access (ex: device, App, etc.) in OTT viewing play a role in their viewing/usage behavior to be different from traditional TV viewing? Does these two forms of TV viewership different in terms of types of programs watched, when they are watched, and how often they are watched? These are all questions of great importance to online publishers and advertisers, and, in general, to researchers working with large volume and variety of TV viewing data. Answering these questions is at the heart of this study and analysis. Read more