Binge viewing up 12% in 10 months

Binge viewing is defined as watching three or more episodes of the same show in one sitting, whether via streaming, DVR, VOD or TV marathons. 

The 57% is broken down as 14% who binge view ‘all or most of the time', 18% who binge view ‘more than half the time', and 25% who binge view ‘about half the time'. 

Millennials are among the most prolific bingers: 53% say they binge  more than half the time they watch TV. This cohort is also more likely  to say that TV has become more of a special event for them and that binge viewing makes them feel more connected to the shows they watch. 

Streaming services are the main source of binge viewing: 66% of regular bingers say streaming is the option they use most to do so. For millennials who binge regularly, 81% do so via streaming services. 

"Binge viewing used to have negative connotations in viewers’ minds,” said Karen Ramspacher, SVP, consumer insights of GfK MRI’s special research on TV viewing.

“But as it expands further into the mainstream, people are excited to embrace the behaviour. From DVD box sets to DVRs to cable TV marathons, binge viewing has been enabled by a host of video platforms and packages; but streaming services have taken this habit to new levels.

"Programming for bingers, and figuring out how to advertise to them more effectively, are key challenges for programmers and networks alike.”