The Olympics Changed The Way We Watch Programs

The 2012 Olympics has not disappointed viewers with memorable moments of breathtaking athletic performance.  These games will also be be remembered for changing the way we watch programming.  With a majority of consumers having access to mobile technology through smartphones and tablets, many, for the first time, used these devices to stream the events live.
Insight Express reports data showing a change in consumer viewing behavior for the Olympic games in 2012:

• Among tablet users, 76% are live streaming on a tablet for the first time
• 86% live streamed on a smartphone for the first time
• Even an established platform like the web is seeing 36% of website users live stream online for the very first time

Adoption of technology is based on compelling content, not the technology itself. Olympics competition is perfect content for live streaming.
Content providers and advertisers also worked hard to enhance our real time experience. There were a few notable bumps – the challenges NBC faced by not broadcasting certain events in real time and the resulting “spoiler” factor show how important complete access has become. Live video streaming did not to hurt NBC prime time viewing however – in fact it was higher among those who saw events streamed live earlier.
While TV viewership still dominates other formats (as the Nielsen figures below show), the trend toward streaming in general is evident.  These Olympics are a galvanizing event that will move mainstream consumers to demand real-time and instant access to anything happening in the world while also building the demand for programming that is accessible on personal mobile devices.