Nearly two thirds of Americans still aren’t hip to exactly what 4K technology is, and only 11% actually own a 4K set, according to a new survey from media production tech company Snell Advanced Media (SAM).
The study, conducted with research firm YouGov, found that only 17% of U.S. adults are fully aware of 4K and what the technology is, a number that jumps to nearly 30% of millennials, with 25% of those in the 18-24 range saying they’ve watched 4K in the last six months. Seventeen percent of millennials say they own a 4K set.
“It was evident from our research that even though 4K is a huge industry buzzword, and something many broadcasters have already begun preparing to deliver to consumers, most Americans don’t quite know what that entails,” said Neil Maycock, executive VP and GM of media software solutions at SAM. “The knowledge gap between broadcaster and customer revealed by our research goes to show that finding the right formula to deliver and implement a winning 4K strategy is the key to broadcasters’ success.”
The survey did find that more than 40% of those surveyed said they would buy a 4K set after being educated about the technology, and that a live sporting event was an important enough reason to watch using the latest display technology (65%).
“In particular, sports networks have a significant opportunity to capitalize on the attention they receive from live viewing, as we’ve seen with high profile arrangements like the NFL live streams on Twitter,” Maycock said. “We expect [broadcasters to make] every effort to push live sports content to more channels, faster, all with the quality consumers come to expect from their televisions.”
The survey was conducted in mid-2016 and included responses from nearly 1,150 adults.
