Study: TV Rules Over Movies, Books

A study on so-called peak TV and streaming reveals just how elevated a perch television is enjoying in pop culture.

Fully 72% of respondents  to a survey by Miner & Co. said they choose TV shows over movies these days, while 67% said they are streaming their favorite TV shows at the expense of reading. Furthermore, 85% said they have a summer streaming list, while 76% have a summer reading list.

Miner & Co. Studios surveyed 801 TV viewers between the ages of 18 and 59.

"For the past few years, streaming has tended to drown out conversations about broadcast and cable, and it continues to gain strength as a preferred platform for viewing,” said Robert Minor, president, Miner & Co. Studios. “But the investment in quality scripted across the board has, at least for now, captured viewers’ attention across all options – broadcast, cable and streaming. The choice, convenience and control of streaming will continue to hold very high appeal but content is key – especially in attracting and retaining viewers.”

Not surprisingly, streaming and cable scored the highest for delivering great television; perhaps more surprising is that broadcast, which goes largely ignored at the awards events, was a very close runner up. Some 87% of respondents said streaming services, such as Netflix and Amazon, are “very” or “somewhat” reliable sources for great television. Cable too had 87%, though the subset of premium cable scored 83%. Broadcast networks came in at 86%.

Among respondents, 77% said there’s no such thing as too much good TV.

Read more at broadcastingcable.com.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.