The idea behind TV Everywhere, a five-year-old initiative by broadcasters, cable networks, and cable providers, was to let subscribers watch shows anywhere--on their phones, tablets, or computers.
But increasingly, people who use TV Everywhere are opting to watch shows and movies back on the TV in their living rooms--you know, the screen where it all started. That's according to the just-released quarterly Digital Video Benchmark Report from Adobe, whose online marketing services track online video and TV viewing.
Nearly a quarter of TV Everywhere "authentications" happened on Internet-connected TVs in the last quarter. That's a jump of 130% from a year ago, when Connected TVs accounted for only 10%, and it's the biggest increase among all devices. Overall on all devices, viewing through TV Everywhere has more than doubled from a year ago.
You need to bear in mind that most people still haven't heard of TV Everywhere, let alone use it. So this is a narrow slice of TV watching. Still, it's one small sign that people see an advantage in watching TV content on a bigger screen--which also means they're seeing at least some of those TV ads that continue to bring in the big advertising bucks.
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But it's not just Apple TV. Roku remains a big player in streaming devices, and together it and Apple account for 87% of authentications. (Adobe also tracks other video watching such as
Interestingly, Apple TV may actually be cannibalizing the iPad in TV viewing--again, at least for TV Everywhere content. The authentication share of Apple's iOS operating software actually fell 25% from a year ago. "It's probably the result of people not using the tablet as much, impacted by Apple TV," says Gaffney.
It's also possible larger iPhones are generally cannibalizing iPad use. In fact, smartphones overall are now the preferred mobile device for online video (that is, non-TV Everywhere). Viewing on smartphones rose 30% from a year ago, while tablet viewing fell by 8%.
Another interesting wrinkle for Apple: Android devices accounted for double the viewing frequency of iOS devices for what it calls "teens and toons" content for younger people, according to Adobe. Gaffney speculates that parents who want to keep their children occupied would rather hand them a cheaper Android than their increasingly expensive iPhones, so if they're dropped, they don't cost as much to replace. But the trend doesn't bode well for Apple, because young'uns will grow up accustomed to Android, not iOS--and they're the TV viewers of the future that Apple wants to keep as it delves deeper into television.
Despite the rapidly increasing use of TV Everywhere by those who have signed up for it, the initiative continues to face many of the same challenges that have held back mainstream use. Fewer than one in seven households is using TV Everywhere, and growth in new users is up a scant 8% from a year ago.
Why? Simply put, it remains a hassle to watch shows and movies using TV Everywhere. Devices can be difficult to set up and use, rules for show access vary between providers, ad load can be annoying, and service can be poorer--stuttering, lost connections and the like-than services such as Netflix and Hulu.
