Consumers are increasingly watching television content on multiple platforms, contributing to the fragmentation of the traditional viewing experience. This is the main outcome of Accenture’s second annual Global Broadcast Consumer Survey.

Accenture interviewed 13,600 consumers across 13 countries, including five countries in Asia for their views on digital content delivery. The result is a truly global perspective into the way consumers’ behavior and preferences are continuing to change under the impact of a rapidly-expanding choice of media options.

The most significant survey finding is that while fragmentation of the audience viewing traditional television formats is continuing, the consumption of broadcast content on all platforms, including traditional television, is clearly growing. Other significant findings:

• Viewing of all content – including television – is growing across all platforms;
• Opportunities in new media abound in emerging markets;
• Consumers indicate a willingness to pay favoring subscription services.

“Consumers are making choices based on what they’ve tried, liked and rejected and are now selecting content and its delivery platforms,” said David Wolf, a Senior Executive with Accenture’s Media & Entertainment practice. “If today’s content services don’t meet consumer expectations, it will be that much harder for providers to sell to them later, even when services improve. Providers face an urgent need to capture consumer loyalty now — and respond to changing consumption habits — or face playing catch-up against other content delivery choices.

The modes of consumption that provide an alternative to the traditional TV experience are becoming part of everyday life rather than the occasional novelty,” Wolf added. “Consequently, providers in this evolving market must drive the consumer experience by offering the right type of content via the right device for a particular market.”

Sounds like the media landscape is growing up…

Download the full results from the Accenture Global Broadcast Consumer Survey [PDF, 3MB]