TORONTO – Canadian TV viewers are no longer relying on the "seasonality" of TV network programming to watch their favourite new shows, according to a new study by Videology.
The converged TV and video advertising software provider conducted a video-based online survey of over 1,700 Canadian consumers to determine how shifts in media consumption have changed the traditional focus on the "new TV season," which starts in September. Overall, 48% of consumers surveyed said that the season doesn't impact their video viewing.
When asked if they look forward to the new TV season, 39% of respondents said they didn't even know September marked the new season. Additionally, 25% said they don't look forward to the September TV season, because good TV is available all year long.
Videology said that the survey suggests that these shifts in perception are the result of more consumers watching TV programs online, where they are available throughout the year. Some 49% of respondents said they watch the majority of their favourite TV shows online, and 76% said their current favourite TV show airs somewhere other than network TV (with 37% of those respondents saying their current favourite TV show airs only online).
"Consumers no longer have to follow the scheduling of TV networks – they can make their own schedules," said Videology chairman and CEO Scott Ferber, in the study’s news release. "They're watching their favourite shows on their laptops, mobile phones and connected TVs, where premium programs are available all year long."
A twin survey in the U.S. showed similar results, suggesting a broader trend, the company added.
