OSLO—A new survey highlights the growing importance of live event programming, particularly sports, for the broadcast industry with the finding that live events are the preferred type of broadcast content for 40% of TV viewers around the world, proving more popular than any other type of programming.
The survey involved consumers in the U.S., U.K., Spain, Germany, France and the Nordics and is based on research commissioned by Nevion, a Sony Group Company that was carried out by research house Vitreous World.
The most notable finding of the research was that more consumers in the regions surveyed prefer to watch live broadcast events (40%) than on-demand content via streaming services (31%) or scheduled programming by TV stations (29%).
Unlike other content, live programming is also resonating with different demographics and that it is breaking down the generational divide by being universally popular among age ranges. Of the three main content types available to consumers today, live event broadcasting is the preferred choice of 58% of 18-24 year-olds and 31% of over 65s.
In another notable finding, the survey also found that live event broadcasts were a communal activity for many, with viewers seeking shared and memorable experiences. Almost one-in-five (19%) watch live broadcast events with someone else in-person at least once a day, and 59% use social media or messaging platforms to talk to friends and family about key moments.
With live event engagement remaining high, live broadcasters need to be exploring how they can continue to win new subscribers while also keeping current customers subscribed to live event channels, the researchers reported.
With high visual quality (30%) and specific content offerings (24%) vital for consumers to continue resubscribing, broadcasters will need to focus on providing these benefits now and in the future. Looking ahead to the next 12 months, a quarter of consumers surveyed (25%) say that they will primarily consume live broadcast events.
“Our results show that live event broadcasting is not only more popular than on-demand and scheduled programming, but that it is a powerful unifier across generations. Broadcasters now have a great opportunity to tap into the unique advantages of live events to draw in new customers and keep current ones engaged. With the right technology, they can transform the logistics and economics of mission critical live production to create compelling new content types in the highest visual quality,” says Olivier Suard, vice president of marketing, Nevion.
