BOSTON, Mass.—Consumers continue to rapidly embrace advanced TV technologies, which in turn is transforming both viewer habits and the business opportunities for content providers and advertisers, according to Hub Entertainment Research’s fourth annual “Evolution of the TV Set” study.
One notable finding of the survey and report is that the speed with which consumers are turning to streaming using smart TVs continues to impress. Almost two thirds (62%) of TV homes report streaming using a smart TV, compared with less than half (47%) two years ago, the Hub survey found. This rapid increase is driven by increases in both smart TV homes and in the share of those homes using smart TVs to stream.
Another technology being rapidly adopted is voice control. Half (51%) of the most-used sets in U.S. homes have a remote control with voice command capability – up notably since 2020 (38%), Hub reported.
In homes with a smart TV, one in three (33%) linked a smart TV to a smart speaker like Amazon’s Echo or Google’s Nest, enabling voice control – up a third from 2020 (25%).
Another notable trend is the use of TV sets for activities other than viewing TV programs or movies. In smart TV homes, 7 in 10 (73%) say they use a set for something else – up from 6 in 10 (63%) in 2020, Hub found.
The most popular non-TV activities on smart TVs are streaming music, mirroring or casting another screen to the set, checking news or weather apps, or using an on-set browser.
“Streaming on smart TV sets has grabbed the spotlight, but don’t forget other ways TVs have evolved,” said David Tice, senior consultant to Hub and co-author of the study. “With the TV itself becoming an advertising platform, changes in user behaviors from set evolution can impact marketing opportunities, exposure, and effectiveness.”
The findings are from Hub’s “Evolution of the TV Set 2022” report, based on a survey conducted among 2,526 US consumers. Interviews were conducted in May 2022 and cover consumer ownership of, and attitudes towards, TV sets and TV-related technologies.
A free excerpt of the findings is available on Hub’s website.
