Entertainment on Demand - UK - May 2009
UK television viewers are now more empowered with their entertainment options than ever. The rising penetration of broadband has enabled major national broadcasters to provide compelling TV catch-up sites like the BBC’s iPlayer for consumers that missed previously scheduled programming.
Innovative technology in the form of personal video recorders has also made it possible to schedule and watch content on demand in viewers’ living rooms. The likes of Virgin’s V+ and Sky Anytime provide users with a ready fix of entertainment that can be accessed 24/7.
The market for telecoms and digital TV offerings is also more competitive than ever, pushing down the price of a whole menu of services, which consumers can get as part of triple or quad-play deals. This has helped reinforce the trend towards consumers’ use of entertainment on demand.
With online catch-up services like the iPlayer more prevalent than ever (online and via TV services like Virgin Media’s) is there still a role for live TV watching?
What sort of things do consumers watch via online catch-up sites, is this any different from the type of content demanded via TV service offerings?
How digitally savvy are consumers when it comes to watching on-demand content on other devices, such as mobile phones and PlayStation portable (PSP) games consoles?
Is online catch-up TV still the preserve of the very young? Which online catch-up sites resonate the most with older viewers?
Is entertainment on demand a positive move for advertisers, especially by enabling them to target specific, engaged audiences?
What does the average TV viewer want from an on-demand service?
What you get
What's included
- Consumer Attitudes and Behaviour
- Market data
- Competitive analysis
- Risks and Opportunities
- What’s Next
- Market Trends
This market report provides in-depth analysis and insight supported by a range of data. At the same time, introductory and top-level content is provided to give you an overview of the issues covered.
-
Market
Mintel provides a range of market information, frequently through the category level, including market size and forecasting, complete with market drivers that illustrate the forces that shape a category or market.
-
Consumer
Mintel's proprietary consumer research provides our analysts with the attitudinal and behavioral data used to provide valuable insight to topical issues.
-
Brand/Company
Mintel provides overviews of the top brands and manufacturers, and uses consumer research to explore attitudes and reactions to brands, as well as insight into what will resonate with consumers.
-
Data
Market reports provide appendices of data to support the research and insight produced. Our tables of data are easily manipulated and downloadable to support your research needs and covers factors from consumer attitudes to market forecasts.

* This is a sample representation of the report layout and does not reflect the research included in this report.
Why buy from us?
Succeed
Our reports will provide you with market data, consumer research and competitive intelligence to succeed in your market.
Instant Access
Buy now and you'll have instant access to the information you need to make the right decisions.
Opportunities
Find out what's next in the markets that matter to you: where opportunities lie and what challenges you will face.
Trusted
A business Superbrand, Mintel is a source you can trust. We have been defining and refining the Market Intelligence mix since 1972.
Table of contents
Issues in the Market
- Key themes
- Definition
- Abbreviations
Future Opportunities
- Instantly gratifying
- Trial without error
- Becoming more controlling
- Instantly gratifying
Market in Brief
- More TV options and more control
- No longer a niche market
- TV-based services have greatest appeal
- The future is almost now
- More TV options and more control
Internal Market Environment
- Key points
- Growth in digital TV viewing
- Figure 1: Take-up of digital TV services, by platform, 2002-08
- On-demand access increases
- More accessing content online
- Figure 2: Top ten online video viewing properties ranked, by total UK unique visitors*, 2008 and 2009
- Key points
Broader Market Environment
- Key points
- Greater penetration of faster broadband
- Figure 3: UK broadband penetration, 2004-09
- Figure 4: Broadband access speeds, 2007-08
- Personal disposable income stagnates
- Figure 5: Trends in personal disposable income and consumer expenditure, 2004-14
- Key points
Competitive Context
- Key points
- Challenge from established user-generated sites
- Figure 7: How consumers obtain new music and video content, October 2008
- Illegal video downloads
- Consumers more digital than ever
- Figure 8: Trends in digital device usage, 2007-09
- Don’t count out live TV just yet
- Key points
Strengths and Weaknesses in the Market
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Strengths
Who’s Innovating?
- Key points
- Freeview: Mark 2
- Adobe makes streaming web TV easier
- Key points
Companies and Products
- BBC iPlayer
- 4oD
- ITV Player
- BT Vision
- Virgin Media – Catch Up and On Demand
- BBC iPlayer
Brand Communication and Promotion
- Key points
- BT Vision biggest spender
- Figure 9: Advertising spend amongst selected entertainment on-demand providers, 2006-08
- Direct mail receives a boost
- Figure 10: Advertising spend amongst selected entertainment on-demand providers, by media type, 2006-08
- Key points
Who Uses On-Demand and What’s Viewed?
- Key points
- Majority have used on-demand services
- Figure 11: Usage of on-demand services* in the last 12 months, by gender and age, March 2009
- ITV Player and BBC iPlayer leading growth rates on and offline
- Figure 12: Usage of on-demand channels, 2008 and 2009
- Full-length TV shows dominate
- Figure 13: Type of content consumed, by on demand, by gender and age, March 2009
- Key points
How Do Viewers Watch On-Demand TV?
- Key points
- Terrestrial channels drive the on-demand revolution
- Figure 14: Usage of on-demand channels, March 2009
- iPlayer has broadest appeal across age groups
- Figure 15: Usage of leading on-demand channels in the last 12 months, by age, March 2009
- Key points
Ways of Consuming Entertainment By Device
- Key points
- Device limitations dictate type of content consumed
- Figure 16: On-demand content consumed, by type of device used to consume on-demand content, March 2009
- Portable on-demand access struggles
- Key points
How Consumers View Different Methods of Watching Television
- Key points
- Simplest route to entertainment the most popular
- Figure 17: Words that consumers use when describing ways of watching television, March 2009
- Younger viewers: Most enthusiastic about online catch-up
- Still open to watching TV as it airs
- Key points
What Consumers Want from an On-Demand Service
- Key points
- Increased TV access a priority
- Figure 18: Functions that consumers think are important for an on-demand service to have, March 2009
- Free and HD support not so important – but for how long?
- Key points
Appendix – Internal Market Environment
- Figure 19: Type of TV reception recieved at home, by detailed demographics, March 2009
Appendix – Who Uses On-demand and What’s Viewed?
- Figure 20: Overall usage of on-demand services, by detailed demographics, March 2009
- Figure 21: Type of content consumed, by on-demand users, by detailed demographics, March 2009
Appendix – How Do Viewers Watch On-Demand TV?
- Figure 22: Catch-up services viewed, by frequency of use, by detailed demographics, March 2009
- Figure 23: Catch-up services viewed, by frequency of use, by detailed demographics, March 2009
- Figure 24: Catch-up services viewed, by frequency of use, by detailed demographics, March 2009
- Figure 25: Catch-up services viewed, by frequency of use, by detailed demographics, March 2009
- Figure 26: Catch-up services viewed, by frequency of use, by detailed demographics, March 2009
Appendix – Ways of Consuming Entertainment by Device
- Figure 27: Ways of consuming entertainment, by type of device, by detailed demographics, March 2009
- Figure 28: Ways of consuming entertainment, by type of device, by detailed demographics, March 2009
- Figure 29: Ways of consuming entertainment, by type of device, by detailed demographics, March 2009
Appendix – How Consumers View Different Methods of Watching Television
- Figure 30: How consumers percieve watching TV catch-up services online, by detailed demographics, March 2009
- Figure 31: How consumers percieve watching on-demand services via the TV, by detailed demographics, March 2009
- Figure 32: How consumers percieve watching TV recordings via a PVR, by detailed demographics, March 2009
- Figure 33: How consumers percieve watching TV as it airs, by detailed demographics, March 2009
Appendix – What Consumers Want from an On-Demand Service?
- Figure 34: What functions consumers think an on-demand catch-up service should have, by detailed demographics, March 2009
- Figure 35: What functions consumers think an on-demand catch-up service should have, by detailed demographics, March 2009
- Figure 36: What functions consumers think an on-demand catch-up service should have, by detailed demographics, March 2009
Entertainment on Demand - UK - May 2009