Cutting the Cord: We like binge-watching solo
My wife is a solo binge-watcher. But technically, she's not alone.
A few weeks ago, a slew of friends and readers, as well as Paste BN TV critic Robert Bianco, offered my wife, Julie, some suggestions of what to binge-watch after finishing the third season of Orange Is the New Black.
Since then, she has binge-watched the entire six seasons of Justified. I've watched more than two dozen episodes of the series myself. But the girl couldn't help herself. When I was not around, she moved on without me.
Evidently, there's plenty of you who do the same.
More than two-thirds (69%) of binge-watchers in the U.S. do so alone, according to a recent ARRIS report. That's higher than the international average of 60% but not as high as in Japan, where 80% binge-watch alone, the entertainment and technology provider found in its survey of 19,000 Net-connected consumers from 19 countries.
"It reminds me of reading a book. It really has become a thing that’s so personal that a lot of people are doing it alone," said Sandy Howe, ARRIS' senior vice president of global marketing.
Globally, there are some differences. In Mexico and Spain, people are more likely to binge-watch with a partner or as a couple, 60% or 55% of the time, respectively.
In the U.S., solo binge-watching happens across all age groups, but it is highest among those 16 to 24 years old. About 12% of those in the U.S. say they binge-watch every day; about half binge-watch monthly.
And the average U.S. binge-watcher devours episodes in settings of 3.6 hours at a time.
During last year's survey, ARRIS found that 80% of Net-connected consumers binge-watched. "I was shocked at how common binge-viewing was and it is so accepted," Howe said. "It really is that solitary activity, like surfing the Internet."
The good news for content companies and connectivity providers, she says, is that just as advertisers have learned to deliver ads on the Web — on computers and mobile — they can do so for binge-viewers. "There's no reason that advertising can’t be customized to how you do your binge-viewing," Howe said.
Consumers might not have a problem with that, since the most popular way to watch is through free catch-up services that let you stream or download video. Those who prefer to use subscription services such as Amazon or Netflix are on the rise, however, at 14% up from 8% last year.
What are people watching? Movies remain the favorite content to binge on, with 43% of viewers saying they watch more than one in a sitting. But TV dramas are not far behind, as 41% saying they take in more than one episode at a time.
Guess I shouldn't be surprised that Julie has moved onto movies.
Cutting the Cord is a regular column covering Net TV and ways to get it. If you have suggestions or questions, contact Mike Snider via e-mail at msnider@usatoday.com. And follow him on Twitter: @MikeSnider.