Press Release – Study: Super Bowl streaming viewership to increase this year by 45%

DENVER (January 31, 2018)—Adtaxi, one of the nation’s fastest growing digital marketing agencies, released the results of its Super Bowl Viewership and Consumer Streaming Trends Survey, an in-depth look at how consumers nationwide will be watching the Super Bowl, as well as an examination of their digital streaming habits more broadly. Although movies and television series still dominate the streaming world, there are important opportunities for digital advertisers to reach consumers while viewing major sporting events—namely through social media.

The survey revealed that Super Bowl viewership via streaming services is expected to be up 45% from last year, and many viewers will simultaneously engage in secondary media sources to consume event-related content. Indeed, of those watching via traditional television or cable services, a majority (58%) will be using secondary channels for related content. On average, those seeking related content will use 2.1 different channels (e.g., social media, sports websites, group chat, forums), representing key vehicles through which companies can reach audiences with targeted advertisements.

Additional Super Bowl highlights are below:

SUPER BOWL TRENDS

• — 3 out of 4 respondents (75%) will be tuning in to this year’s Super Bowl.
• — Viewers in the 18- to 29-year-old age group (17%) are most likely to stream the game.
• — Nearly half (47%) of all respondents will use secondary media to consume Super Bowl-related content.
• — A majority of secondary media users (68%) will use social media.
• — 71% of 18- to 29-year-olds will use secondary media—more than any other age group.
• — Female respondents (35%) are more likely to use social media than male respondents (29%), while the males (18%) are more likely to use sports sites than the females (10%).

“In today’s media-rich environment, consumers are immersed in a world of screens, and using one platform at a time is no longer enough,” said Chris Loretto, Executive Vice President of Adtaxi. “Viewers—and younger audiences in particular—are not only watching events on the television as they happen, but they are also tweeting and texting about it, or recording their reactions via Snapchat and Facebook Live. This creates a unique opportunity for brands to reach audiences in multiple places at the same time. For instance, a Super Bowl viewer chatting with their friends on Facebook about a television commercial they just saw can simultaneously be targeted with a digital advertisement for the same brand.”

In addition, data revealed that a vast majority of the consumers surveyed—particularly those belonging to younger demographics—now use streaming services, with movies and television overwhelmingly representing the most popular categories.

Key findings surrounding consumer streaming habits are summarized below:

STREAMING HABITS

• — Nearly 3/4 of respondents (74%) stream content digitally.
• — One-third (31%) of respondents consume at least half of their TV programming via streaming.
• — 55 percent of 18- to 29-year-old respondents stream at least half of their TV programming.
• — Mobile devices (64%) are the most commonly used streaming devices in the last 30 days.
• — Saving money (59%) is most popular reason for moving away from traditional cable to digital streaming, followed by wanting to watch on one’s own schedule (56.28%) and avoiding TV commercials (45%).
• — Movies (69%) are the most popular type of content streamed in a typical month overall, followed by news programming (37%), sports programming (27%) and awards shows (9%)
• — Among the men surveyed, movies (67%) are the most popular type of streaming content, while TV series (74%) are the most popular among female respondents.

“Overall, this data contributes to our growing body of knowledge surrounding consumer demographics, helping us optimize our targeting strategies and reach specific age groups or genders on the appropriate platforms. With a higher degree of precision, we can reach audiences where they are, with the most relevant content possible,” Loretto said. “There is no doubt about it—streaming is on the rise, and advertisers must either adapt to keep up with the rapidly-evolving landscape, or face falling behind.”

Methodology

The study was conducted online using Survey Monkey. One thousand participants were polled, spanning across the United States. The demographic of those polled represented a broad range in household income, geographic location, age and gender.