EPISODE 27

For many of us, TV isn’t what it used to be. For others, TV today is the only TV they’ve ever known. As a result, there’s no longer an easy way to define what TV is—or what it isn’t.

But regardless of how you define TV, there’s no mistaking the impact that advancing technology, internet connectivity, mobility, device fragmentation and platform diversity have had on the video industry. The result? A seemingly endless array of content that offers enough variety for even the pickiest of viewers.

The proof is in the data. The average American now spends 10-and-a-half hours each day consuming media, with almost five-and-a-half hours spent watching video. When it comes to video consumption, live TV remains in the driver’s seat when we look at average time spent, but we’re seeing increases in engagement with game consoles, app and web use on smartphones, and internet connected devices. In fact, nearly seven in 10 TV households have a device that can stream content, and a similar amount have access to a streaming SVOD service.

But internet connectivity isn’t all about shuttering linear TV. In fact, the rise of vMVPDs, or virtual multichannel programming distributors, provides cord cutters with a way to access traditional television programming without a complete cable or satellite package. Today, vMVPDs exist in just under 4% of U.S. TV homes.

This episode, which is the second of a two part-look this season at how digital is driving change across the media landscape, focuses on how digital video is helping shape the content landscape. Kevin Rini, SVP Product Leadership within Nielsen Media, and Sal Tuzzeo, VP, Communications, Nielsen Media, delve into the growth of stand-alone streaming services, how linear options are keeping pace, the myriad ways in which video is available to consumers and how content creators are experimenting to deliver on evolving consumer demands.

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