NBC
NBC's "This Is Us."
People are filling their stay-at-home days with more TV.
61% of people in a March survey by Kagan, the media research arm of S&P Global Market Intelligence, said they were watching more video as a direct result of the coronavirus outbreak.
Free ad-supported streaming services like Pluto TV and Xumo have been fast-tracking channel launches and promoting more news and educational to attract those audiences, as Business Insider previously reported.
While free ad-supported platforms have been gaining ground with viewers for a few years now, they haven't yet become a daily habit for mainstream audiences. The recent rise in streaming viewers could be a breakthrough moment for those platforms.
TV-maker Vizio revealed on Tuesday that viewing sessions rose 59% among free ad-supported apps and streaming-TV services on its devices during the last three weeks of March.
Yet, the Kagan survey suggested platforms like Pluto TV still have a long way to go to make themselves household names.
The Kagan survey, which included 1,000 participants from March 27-29, asked people what free ad-supported platforms they currently used or planned to try because of the coronavirus.
"Considering these do not charge a monthly fee, and in context of a new recession, they could be in for an even greater surge compared to the paid services," the report said.
People were most likely to use brands they knew, including:
- YouTube - Currently used by 46% of respondents
- Network-TV websites, like abc.com or nbc.com - Currently used by 23%
- The Roku Channel - Currently used by 18%
They were most willing to try other TV network websites, followed by Crackle, The Roku Channel, and Facebook Watch:
- Network-TV website - 20% don't use but will try
- Crackle - 18% don't use but will try
- The Roku Channel - 17% don't use but will try
- Facebook Watch - 17% don't use but will try
Kagan
Among the ad-supported platforms included in the survey, excluding YouTube, at least 26% of respondents said they had no interest in trying the services, which suggests there's a segment of viewers out there that's averse to these free platform. Swaying that base could be another hurdle platforms like Pluto TV and The Roku Channel will have to overcome.