Audio Video News

Everyone knows streaming is king among young Americans but it seems Millennials also prefer watching movies and listening to music at home over going out.

That was one of the highlights to come out of MFour’s Millennial Insights Project, described as an in-depth look at the preferences and behaviors of 1,000 American consumers, ages 18 to 36.

The market research company, which conducts surveys through a mobile app, found that only four in 10 (43 percent) Millennials had been to a movie theater in the past month and only 17.5 percent had been to a live concert. What’s more, 41 percent hadn’t been to a live concert in the last 6 months and 15 percent said they had never experienced a live concert.

MFour highlighted several other findings.

• Nine in 10 Millennials said they access entertainment on a TV screen but mobile phones are a strong second at 73 percent. Desktops and laptops were third at 63 percent, and tablets came in at 47 percent. The youngest Millennials, ages 18 to 24, show a preference for watching on smartphones—74 vs. 69 percent for those 25 and older.

• Streamed programming is the most frequent viewing choice for six in 10 (58 percent) Millennials—more than double the 28 percent who most often watch cable or satellite TV. The survey also found a steep drop-off for cable/satellite viewing among those under 30. Only 18.5 percent of the younger group said cable/satellite TV is their first choice, compared with 37 percent in the 30 to 36 age group. More than three-quarters (78 percent) of all Millennials consider a paid streaming platform their first or second choice when watching television. But most Millennials haven’t cut the cord: 64 percent of those who no longer live with a parent still subscribe to cable or satellite TV.

• Regardless of race-ethnicity, income level, sex, and age bracket, American Millennials are united in their enthusiasm for binging. By nearly four to one (78 to 22 percent), Millennials prefer a television series to be released all at once, rather than having to wait for a weekly episode. And 68 percent said they had binged on TV during the past month; 53 percent during the previous week.

• Music downloads are going mobile: More than half of Millennials (56 percent) said they had downloaded music to a mobile device within the past month, surpassing the 43 percent who had downloaded tunes to a desktop PC or laptop. African Americans were especially active downloaders, with 69 percent reporting they had downloaded music straight to their phone in the past month, and 53 percent downloading to a PC. Downloads for Caucasians were 55 percent mobile and 38 percent PC; Hispanics/Latinos went 57 percent for mobile and 46 percent for PCs.

MFour recruited and surveyed respondents through its app-based research technology and methodology, Surveys on the Go, which reaches more than 1 million active panelists. The study collected 1,000 demographically representative, validated responses within two hours of launch on Sept. 10, 2016.

“Our study aims to generate insights into this crucial, much-analyzed consumer cohort of more than 75 million Americans, while demonstrating to the market research industry that the fastest, most reliable and effective way to reach Millennials is on the devices that define them,” MFour said.

For more on the survey, visit: surveysonthego.net.