TORONTO – Canadians have taken up the habit of binge-viewing multiple sessions of their favourite TV episodes like a duck takes to water, according to the findings of the latest Rogers Innovation Report, released Monday.
The report found eight out of 10 Canadians have watched three or more TV episodes or two or more movies back-to-back this year, and would willingly sacrifice some of their sleep to spend a few more minutes watching TV. The longest consecutive viewing session averages more than five hours on a weekday and almost seven hours on a weekend. “Canadians have an insatiable appetite for compelling content and technology is driving a transformation in how we consume entertainment. Viewers are diving deeper into plots and storylines, pressing play on one episode after another,” said David Purdy, senior vice-president of content at Rogers Communications, in a release. “We've become entertainment multi-taskers, using smartphones and tablets to stream content, and to stay plugged into social media.”
While Canadians’ love affair with their TVs continues, technology is significantly changing where and how we watch it. Place-shifting has increased in popularity as more Canadians watch content on secondary screens, as 71% of respondents reported tuning into their favourite TV shows on their smartphones, tablets and laptops.
Of those, 57% use computers and 60% use laptops to view content, followed by smartphones (42%) and tablets (23%). The overwhelming majority (90%) of respondents age 34 or under are more likely to watch content on second screens.
The Rogers Innovation Report regularly explores connected Canadians’ views on technology. This latest issue, with data compiled during April 2013 by Head Research, can be downloaded here.
