Most viewers spend more than six minutes searching for TV to watch

The Comcast Advertising report, titled Content Discovery in a Multiscreen TV World: Surfing and Scrolling in a Sea of Content, analyses how consumers navigate and discover TV content across traditional and streaming in the US and Europe.

The findings come as audiences increasingly search across multiple apps and services, with only 25% of viewers surveyed stating that all their content can be accessed in one place.

The report says social circles play a big role in how viewers learn about new content: 55% of US viewers said they receive recommendations from friends, family, and colleagues.

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It also stresses the importance of genre: 94% of US viewers said that genre is a key factor in choosing what to watch.

It found that channel surfing is still alive, noting that 62% of Americans start their content search by channel surfing or scrolling through a programme guide or app.

Individual platforms also play an important role in how viewers choose content: 51% of US viewers have found and watched content recommended on their home screen.

Promos and native ads also boost content consideration: 85% of US viewers are likely to be influenced to watch provider-recommended content if they have seen an ad or trailer previously.

The research is based on a survey of 2,500 consumers over age 18 in the US, UK, and Europe.

Comcast Advertising says the report is designed to help platforms and content owners strengthen their offerings and enhance the consumer experience.

“In today’s unbundled world of TV, consumers face a lot of challenges when it comes to discovering content. The goal of TV, whether traditional or streaming, has always been to make audiences feel entertained, not frustrated or overwhelmed,” said Travis Flood, Executive Director of Insights at Comcast Advertising.

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