PORTLAND, ORE. – The idea of primetime is shifting. According to TV and movie measurement company Rentrak, total time viewing free on-demand TV content in the broadcast primetime category has increased 22 percent from the previous year, with 32.8 million more hours per month watched in the first quarter of 2015 than two years ago. Since Rentrak began measuring these numbers five years ago, the amount of time watching primetime on-demand has doubled.
Rentrak’s “State of VOD: Trend Report” also found that transactions for free, on-demand primetime broadcast TV are up 19.8 percent and up 8.2 percent for free on-demand cable series content. It also showed that the majority of primetime viewing on demand happens after day three, with more than 50 percent occurring after day seven.
“With 100 percent of all primetime series shows now available on VOD, consumers know that favorite shows will be available when they want to watch,” said Cathy Hetzel, Rentrak’s corporate president. “The water cooler effect is also driving usage as consumers now have the opportunity to watch shows they hear about, from the first episode on.”
