Survey: Some Internet users willing to pay for premium video content

Consumers are increasingly willing to pay for premium digital content and want access to “TV Everywhere”-style content, according to a survey from The Diffusion Group (TDG) and Digitalsmiths. The survey of 1,300 online video viewers indicated almost 23% would pay $10-15 monthly for a premium service on their TV, computer or mobile device, and a third of those surveyed would pay studios $2-3 for access to a movie or TV series. However, the survey also found slightly more than half of those surveyed would be reluctant or unwilling to sign up for a premium service.

Still, survey authors TDG saw reason to be optimistic in the results.

“I think what you see with this data is a continued upward trend in premium video viewing, combined with a clear endorsement of two profit models, namely premium studio-branded content sites and ‘TV Everywhere’,” said Andy Tarczon, founding partner, The Diffusion Group, in a prepared statement.   

The survey also found:

  • 41 percent of respondents have watched video on several devices other than a computer or laptop, including mobile phones, portable video players, televisions and portable gaming players in the last month. 
  • Nearly 60 percent will be more likely to use a particular video site if they have the opportunity to use advanced “Google-like” search capabilities in video to locate specific scenes, segments, dialogue, characters, actors, or locations within an online movie or television series.
  • Over 41 percent will be more likely to visit a video site if they have the ability to create customized clips from online films and television programs to share with friends, post to video sharing sites or create mobile ringtones.
  • One-third of online video viewers utilize content recommendation on Internet video sites, meaning if they are watching “30 Rock” and Hulu suggests a “Saturday Night Live” clip with Alec Baldwin, they click through and view the suggested video.
  • Nearly 37 percent of online video viewers are more likely to use a video site that enables them to set up and manage alerts (including email, text messaging, RSS feeds) on specific content (series, characters, actors) and which notify them when new content is available.

“This data shows that consumers would like to access and interact with content everywhere, anytime, on every device--and that they are willing to pay to do so,” added Ben Weinberger, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Digitalsmiths.

For more:
- see this release

Related articles:
Verizon, Time Warner Cable announce TV Everywhere plans
ExtendMedia launches competing TV Everywhere solution