Committed

We’ve seen it over and over again – the tremendous commitment and engagement viewers have with ad-supported TV programming

To again quantify this connection, the VAB conducted a custom survey to identify how viewers demonstrate their commitment, engagement and passion for TV programming beyond the 30, 60 or 90+ minutes they spend watching while it airs.

Though we surveyed all adults, the results inspired us to focus on millennials for this analysis. While this group is often portrayed as less attached to TV programming, we found that they demonstrate a strong emotional (and time) investment in ad-supported TV content, even more so than the average adult.

Did You Know?

• 58% have looked up the actors from their favorite TV show to learn more about them “off the screen.”
• 56% are sad that they have to wait months for the next episode after the season finale of a TV program.
• 47% look up spoilers for the next week’s episode of their favorite TV program.
• 49% discuss TV programs with friends, family and co-workers.
• 43% have purchased a product that was shown or featured on a TV show.
  
  

In contrast, we also look at the relationship millennials have with original YouTube content to see if it provokes the same level of “emotional stakes.” Interestingly, we found that millennials show more commitment, emotion and anticipation towards TV programming than these YouTube videos.