Audience behaviour during peaks of viewing

Abstract

The proliferation of multiple devices makes future convergence forecasts unreliable. 1-3-9 longitudinal media lab has been studying convergence from a longitudinal perspective since 2007 to address the limiting challenges of recall/technical prowess and impact of demand characteristics emerging from focus groups/lab studies. For this, ACB conducted an in and out of home video ethnographic study on the three peaks of viewing to look at drivers of second screen use. The first peak was the London 2012 Olympics studying 21 individuals over the period of 20 days; the audience behaviour of those individuals and others (32 individuals) was captured over 24 days in autumn 2012, the second peak of viewing. A follow up (pilot) took place in the US for the third peak of the build up to and duration of the Super Bowl, looking at a broad-based audience of 17 individuals in their home, capturing their use of the second and third screens. Results found more use of complementary content apps during high urgency sports events; a latent appetite for more emotional information on the second-screen app to enrich main screen viewing; and an importance of humour as a key driver for viewing and sharing. Aggressive messaging and creatively interactive content were successful in driving audience participation, but could be to the detriment of neighbouring broadcast content. Three overarching viewing types were identified: enthusiasts, casual viewers, and passive viewers. Importantly it was found that the audience wants to keep with the mood and spirit of content, therefore second-screen moderation should be considered to accommodate a balance of expression without impacting the mood.