Streamed TV Proves a Hit – with Traditional Advertising Surely its Casualty

Feb 12

Streamed entertainment is proving to be a popular hit with UK viewers. But what does this mean for advertisers now that more people are skipping the ads? Step in Product Placement: the advertising alternative that won’t become a casualty of the fast-forward button.

ITV Player, BBC iPlayer, 4oD and other TV and film streaming services are, according to KPMG research, becoming more ‘mainstream’ in the UK, with more users willing to pay for them.

The audit and tax advisory giant’s bi-annual Media and Entertainment Barometer, based on a YouGov survey of just over 2,000 Britons aged 16-plus, revealed the popularity of streamed TV, especially amongst the younger generation. 90% of those surveyed in October 2011 were aware of BBC iPlayer; 79% had heard of ITV Player and 65% knew of LoveFilm. 68% actually used the BBC’s streaming service, a rise of 5% in six months, and 36% were regular users of ITV Player, up 4% in six months.

Britons Increasingly Willing to Pay for Streamed Entertainment

The study showed that Britons are increasingly willing to pay for streamed entertainment; 30% will fork out for paid TV content and 64% for films.

David Elms, head of media at KPMG said: “Not only is awareness and usage of streaming high, but willingness to pay for content has increased too.”

So with the rise in popularity of ‘viewer-controlled’ entertainment, brands will surely be seeking an alternative advertising strategy that is safe from the fast-forward button. This is where the benefit of embedded advertising comes into its own: where brands become part of the entertainment, rather than a tea-break phenomenon, or a casualty of the ad-break skipper.