Do most viewers live stream content from a TV or mobile?

To live stream content from a mobile device is no longer new. According to a recent Qwilt survey, 52% of respondents, made up of North American content publishers, would expect between 30% and 50% of their viewers to be using a mobile device to live stream events. With mobile apps and platforms readily available on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, watching content, news broadcasts, sports and esports games in real time has never been easier. Some 23% of mobile data plans in the UK offer unlimited GB consumption, a further 30% offer more than 10 GB of data, allowing users to browse and live stream content to their heart’s content.?

While television is far from dead and many consumers still prefer to stream live content on a big screen, where is the trend heading as we move into an increasingly handheld entertainment future?

The shift towards mobile live streaming

There has been a notable shift towards an increased use of mobile devices to live stream content over recent years. This can, in large part, be attributed to the growing ubiquity of mobile devices in people’s lives, and our dependence on them as a source of entertainment and information. Technological advances in the availability of high speed internet connections has also made it easier for us to rely on our phones and tablets for content that was once consumed exclusively on TV.?

VoD streams are faster, allowing us to enjoy our favorite films and television shows from far-reaching corners of the globe, and ever-stronger 4G and 5G connections mean we get crisp images of even live content at the click of a button. Many people now use their smartphones as their primary device for browsing and streaming, particularly thanks to mobile-first apps and platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, that offer free content 24 hours a day.?

The enduring appeal of television

Despite the rise and popularity of smartphones and handheld devices to live stream content, televisions —and especially smart TVs— still hold a significant place in people’s hearts and screentime schedules. If we look at the battle between smartphones and smart TVs in terms of viewing time, TVs tend to come out on top. As a central feature of family gatherings and the ‘binge-watching’ phenomenon, smart TVs offer a more immersive viewing experience than smartphones or tablets, especially for long-format genres.?

Unlike mobile devices, which are often subject to interruptions from notifications and other apps, smart TVs provide a dedicated, distraction-free environment that generally enhances the overall live stream experience. TVs have a larger screen and the sound is of a better quality, making them the preferred medium for a more cinematic experience, and long-format viewing sessions. However, while televisions do provide a more immersive experience, mobile devices are still becoming hugely popular for live content viewing. Their portability, accessibility, and variety of content caters to our every whim and allows us to change between apps and platforms to maintain down-to-the-second updates on all news from around the globe.?

Balancing TV and mobile viewing?

While both television and mobile devices have their advantages, the choice between the two mediums often depends on the context of the viewing experience. Our phones are more accessible, we take them with us when we go to work, on the bus, to pick up the kids, and they are therefore available for those short 5 or 10 minute periods of waiting for someone or something to happen. The on-demand access to content allows us to search and live stream content at the very moment we want to see it.?

By contrast, television is often the preferred choice for shared or communal viewing, where a larger screen can be enjoyed by a group of us at once. Most of us use both mediums interchangeably —and often simultaneously—, starting a live stream on our smartphone while having the television switched on in the background. As technology evolves and the connectivity between devices becomes even more seamless, we are likely to see even greater integration, allowing us to seamlessly switch between mobile and TV for a more flexible and personalized live streaming experience.

While mobile devices are increasingly becoming the go-to choice for live streaming content due to their convenience, choice and portability, televisions continue to offer a unique, immersive and cinematic experience for more long-format viewing sessions. As VoD platforms increasingly fund, produce, and release new films directly to streaming rather than theaters, TVs seem set to remain the kings of VoD, while our phones are becoming the preferred medium for live streaming.

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