Study: Gamers watch more FAST, SVoD than CTV owners
April 19, 2023
LG Ad Solutions, a specialist in connected TV (CTV) and cross-screen advertising, has released the findings of a study that found that gamers are more likely to watch free, ad-supported streaming (FAST) than all CTV owners, with nearly two-thirds of gamers spending at least two hours a week streaming via FASTs.
Additionally, gamers subscribe to the most subscription streaming services, at a higher rate than CTV owners, over-indexing on Discovery+, Apple TV+, Peacock and Paramount+. In terms of how they consume the content, only about 23 per cent stream through their gaming console while the majority (55 per cent) stream through their smart TV apps.
LG Ad Solutions surveyed more than 700 consumers who owned a connected TV and played console games in March 2023 to explore trends and behaviours related to CTV consumption among US gamers. The study, titled The Connected Gamer, also found:
- The LG Gamer can be easily reached via the TV screen: 78 per cent of LG TV users play video games once a week with 1 in 5 playing every day. 93 per cent of LG Gamers use FAST apps, with 67 per cent actually preferring them. 49 per cent of LG gamers learn about new games via TV/streaming.
- Women in gaming: Of women who play video games on any connected TV or device, 1 in 5 play every day, with 67 per cent spending 4+ hours gaming per week. In terms of streaming habits, 61 per cent of female gamers prefer streaming free video content with ads, and 45 per cent pay more attention to ads while streaming compared to ads on cable/satellite TV. When it comes to discovering new games, 39 per cent of female gamers find them through TV/streaming.
- New game discovery: 42 per cent of gamers cite streaming ads as a way they discover new games.
- The majority of CTV owners play video games: 68 per cent of connected TV owners play video games, with 71 per cent playing on mobile devices and 64 per cent using consoles. 25 per cent play on a daily basis, with the average gaming session lasting between 30 minutes and two hours. On average, 30 per cent of gamers play 4-7 hours per week.
- The second screen opportunity: Gamers are more likely to multitask while watching TV than the average CTV owner, with 53 per cent playing games and 50 per cent shopping while streaming.
- Gaming is a social activity: 40 per cent of gamers with children play with their kids 1 to 3 times a week and 2 in 5 of all gamers frequently or always play via local co-op on the same console in the same room.
- Gamers require personalisation and relevancy: 80 per cent of gamers prefer seeing ads relevant to their interests, compared to 73 per cent of all CTV users. Similarly, they are more likely to prefer seeing ads that are relevant to the streaming content they are watching (76 per cent) than the average CTV user (63 per cent).
- Gaming goes beyond young adulthood: The generations with the largest percentage of console gamers are 30-44 (79 per cent), followed by 18-29 (74 per cent) and 45-60 (63 per cent). Older generations also enjoy gaming as 32 per cent of those 60+ play console games.
“Gaming is now a cultural mainstay of consumers, and our latest data shows that CTV is a must-have channel for advertisers looking to reach this large, diverse, and highly engaged audience,” said Tony Marlow, CMO of LG Ad Solutions. “Consumers of all ages spend a significant amount of time with video games on a daily basis, and over index on ad-supported streaming. Gamers have a high propensity to buy, and are keenly aware of relevant streaming ads, so brands have an opportunity to create meaningful connections with precise targeting and creative strategies when connecting with this audience.”