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Mobile beats desktop in internet consumption

A recent media consumption forecast by Zenith suggests that mobile internet usage will increase by nearly 28% in 2016

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Mobile beats desktop in internet consumption

A recent media consumption forecast by Zenith suggests that mobile internet usage will increase by nearly 28% in 2016

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Mumbai | June 17, 2016

ZenithAccording to Zenith's media consumption forecasts, the amount of time spent on the mobile will increase by 27.7 per cent this year, driving a 1.4 per cent increase in overall media consumption. The consumption of all other media, including desktop internet, will decline by 3.4 per cent in total.

The second annual edition of the media consumption forecast surveys changing patterns of media consumption and assesses how the amount of time people spend on different media will change between 2016 and 2018. The report looks at the amount of time spent reading newspapers and magazines, watching television, listening to the radio, visiting the cinema, using the internet and viewing outdoor advertising out of the home. This edition covers 71 countries across the world, up from 65 last year. 71 per cent of internet consumption is now on mobile phones.

Since the time the mobile overtook desktop internet consumption in 2015, it has been the primary means of accessing the internet. The forecast suggests that people across the world will spend on an average 86 minutes a day using mobile internet, compared to 36 minutes of using on desktop internet. Desktop internet grew rapidly few years back with 52 minutes of consumption a day in 2014 from 36 minutes a day in 2010. The time spent on desktop internet will fall by 15.8 per cent.

This indicates that 71 per cent of internet consumption will be via mobile. Mobile consumption will be heavily skewed in Asia Pacific, where 73 per cent of internet consumption is on mobile. It will be closely followed by North America where the mobile share is 72 per cent.

Mobile internet consumption is growing at the cost of other media. All traditional media will decline this year; cinema by 0.5 per cent, outdoor by 0.8 per cent, television by 1.5 per cent, radio by 2.4 per cent, newspapers by 5.6 per cent and magazines by 6.7 per cent.

These figures only refer to time spent with these media in their traditional forms – with printed publications and broadcast television channels and radio stations. Much of the time that consumers spend on the internet is devoted to consuming content that has been produced by traditional publishers and broadcasters. Traditional media owners have invested heavily in online brand extensions, and some of them have larger audience online than they ever had for their offline products. The expansion of mobile internet consumption is an opportunity for traditional publishers and broadcasters, as much as a threat.

The growth of internet consumption (first desktop, now mobile) has driven a 7.9 per cent increase in the total consumption of all media between 2010 and 2015, from 403 minutes a day to 435. The growth has averaged 1.5 per cent a year and Zenith forecasts a further 1.4 per cent growth this year.

For 2017, Zenith has forecast a 1.2 per cent growth and just 0.4 per cent growth in 2018 as mobile consumption starts to level off. The agency expects global media consumption to average 448 minutes a day in 2018.

Despite all this, television remains by far the most popular of all media globally, attracting 177 minutes of consumption a day in 2015. Internet consumption came second at 110 minutes a day. Television accounted for 41 per cent of global media consumption in 2015, and Zenith expects it will still account for 38 per cent in 2018. Internet will account for 31 per cent.

Jonathan Barnard, Head of Forecasting, Zenith, said, “Mobile technology is transforming the way people around the world consume media, and is expanding overall media consumption. It provides traditional media owners the opportunity to reach people and places they've never had access to previously, and gives consumers entirely new ways to find and enjoy compelling content.”

In the Indian context, television continues to account for 49 per cent of the time spent and is the largest medium in urban markets.  Out-of-home (OOH) is the second largest medium with 22 per cent of urban time spent. Digital is the third largest medium accounting 16 per cent of time spent in urban India on all media, up from 4 per cent in 2010. 90 per cent of digital time used to be on the desktop in 2010. Today, it has come down to 27 per cent, with 73 per cent being on mobile.

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

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