Viewers want to snack on ad-subsidized content

Close to three quarters of U.S. wireless subscribers favor a mobile content "snacking" paradigm over setting aside time for dedicated viewing, according to a new consumer study released by mobile TV and video solutions provider QuickPlay Media. QuickPlay's online study indicates that 71 percent of mobile subscribers between the ages of 18 and 34 prefer to consume mobile video and TV when the opportunity arises rather than dedicating part of their day to mobile entertainment--41 percent view clips in between daily activities, 16 percent while waiting in line and another 14 percent while in transit. Among consumers who've sampled mobile TV or video, 31 percent said they've spent less than five minutes doing so--moreover, 57 percent of respondents said the ability to pause and resume programming is a decisive factor in their willingness to watch longer content like feature films on mobile devices.  

Other key findings of the QuickPlay survey:

• 43 percent of respondents cited perceived cost as the number one reason they have not sampled mobile TV and video
• 54 percent of respondents said they would be willing to watch a short, targeted mobile advertisement in exchange for free access to mobile TV and video content
• 47 percent of consumers do not know whether or not their operator offers a mobile TV or video service  

"We wanted to look at how people are using or not using mobile TV and video, and found there's still a big lack of awareness," said QuickPlay Media's VP of marketing Mark Hyland in an interview with FierceMobileContent. "We're seeing the on-demand content model is a lot stronger than the broadcast model--consumers want bite-sized chunks, and the average user will even break up longer content into smaller chunks. Music-related content like music videos do well, as do local weather, news and traffic."

Hyland adds that the advent of all-you-can eat data plans could herald a significant shift in mobile consumer habits: "Data prices are coming down, but people are still sensitive to price--however, I suspect that mobile content will get longer if the meter is not ticking, and we'll see consumers getting more comfortable with longer-form content."

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