Mobile Phone Based TV: Primetime Hours

Services such as GoTV offer a variety of videos for viewing on mobile phones.

Primetime viewing for mobile video is during the afternoon and early evening, according to Telephia, the largest provider of consumer research to the communications and new media markets. According to Telephia's Mobile Video Diary Report, 30 percent of mobile video users watch mobile TV and video clips on their mobile phones between the hours of noon and 4 pm, and 31 percent watch during the early evening commute hours of 4 pm to 8 pm (see Table 1). Not surprisingly, mobile video viewing drops to just nine percent during the regular television primetime hours of 8 pm to 11 pm.

Table 1: Mobile TV Usage based on Daypart (U.S.)
Source: Telephia Mobile Video Diary Report, Q2 2006

Mobile Phone Based TV: Demographics

Who is watching mobile video and where are they watching from? Contrary to popular belief, mobile video is being consumed by older age groups, not just the 18 year olds. Fifty percent of mobile video users are 25-36 year olds, compared to 24 percent of the total mobile population (see Table 2). In terms of gender, mobile video usage resembles an early adoption profile, where seven out of ten users are men, compared to a nearly even male/female ratio for all mobile subscribers. Mobile video user demographics show an ethnically diverse population, with 16 percent of mobile video users being African-American and 27 percent Hispanic, compared to 11 percent for each group for general mobile subscribers. In contrast, compared to their presence in the mobile subscriber category (74%), Caucasians are underrepresented in the mobile video user category at only 42 percent.

Table 2: Mobile Video Demographic Breakdown (U.S.)
Source: Telephia Mobile Video Diary Report, Q2 2006

Mobile Phone Based TV: Where People Watch It

Verizon mobile phones provide a menu for selecting mobile videos.

Mobile video users claim nearly one-fourth (22%) of their viewing happens while they are at home. Similarly, twenty-two percent of their viewing is also done while they are commuting, sixteen percent while they are shopping and 14 percent while they are at work.

"The TV at home is a household device that people often have to share. On the other hand, the mobile phone is as personal a device as you can get, and it allows consumers to watch what they want, when they want, and where they want," said Kanishka Agarwal, VP of New Products, Telephia.

Telephia's Mobile Video Diary Report, is the first and only measurement product in the industry that provides detailed research on mobile TV viewership, revenue performance, demographic profiles, behavioural measures, and advertising preferences. Telephia's research on mobile video includes measurement of both streaming TV and video-on-demand services.

Maria Bumatay is Director of Public Relations for Telephia. This article was edited to conform to MobilityGuru's editorial criteria.