49 Video Hours Streamed by Those With OTT Devices

As of April, 51 million households now consume television programming through streaming video services. That reflects a 16 percent jump in just six months, and the number of subscribers claimed by these services—known as over-the-top (OTT) services — has surpassed the number of cable subscribers.

Data presented by ComScore provides a fascinating look at the viewing habits of these homes.^[1] The continuing changes in viewing habits are likely to have significant and unknowable impacts on cultural trends. Some already credit Netflix with creating a new form of storytelling: television shows that are released a season at a time and are designed for binge-watching.

Homes with OTT services use them to watch an average of 49 hours of television per month, spread over 15 days. In general, the prime time hours for streaming are the same as for regular television, 8 to 11 pm. However, binge-watching is also associated with a decided increase in viewing time on the weekends.

Among cord-cutters — people who used to have cable — average viewing hours of OTT television jumps to 81 hours per week. Among cord-nevers — those who never had cable — the average household watches 61 hours per week.

Netflix is the dominant provider, attracting 40 percent of all those viewing hours. YouTube picks up 18 percent, Hulu 14 percent, and Amazon 7 percent. The rest is spread among a variety of services.

Forty-four percent of those who stream OTT video also maintain a subscription to cable television. Twenty-two percent have satellite service. But fully a third (34 percent) do not have any other premium television service. Among this group, roughly half have an antenna to capture broadcast television stations.

The term "over-the-top" applies to video and audio content streamed to a television set through internet apps rather than through cable or satellite broadcasts.

Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia. Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.

Scott Rasmussen is a Senior Fellow for the Study of Self-Governance at the King’s College in New York and an Editor-At-Large for Ballotpedia, the Encyclopedia of American Politics. His most recent book, "Politics Has Failed: America Will Not," was published by the Sutherland Institute in May.To read more of his reports — Click Here Now.