Video Games Beat Traditional Pay TV for Millennial Kids

    Video games, TV, millennial kids

    A Deloitte survey has brought up some interesting habits of millennials- video games are preferred over TV!

    Deloitte’s 13th annual digital media trends survey over December 2018 – February 2019 among 2,003 U.S. consumers, has thrown up some very interesting results. The entertainment preferences of the US millennials are changing rather rapidly. A similar report last year said that paid subscriptions among millennials were 44% for video games and 52% for television.  This year, about 53% of millennials now pay for gaming services, versus 51% who pay for television.

    In a comment to Reuters, Deloitte’s U.S. telecom, media, and entertainment practice lead, Kevin Westcott, who leads, said increased consumption of game is happening as more people fill their spare time playing on mobile devices. Clearly, there is a fall in reading and other leisure activities.

    Clearly, as Reuter reports, more American millennials are now subscribing to a video game service than to traditional paid television services. A bulk of young consumers favor new forms of entertainment, and this change in choices is shifting the broader media landscape.

    Even among TV audiences, paid television through cable, satellite or fiber is giving away to direct-to-consumer streaming services, in a clear trend of changing viewer habits.

    Concurrently, the popularity of video games and e-sports has soared. This has given rise to an industry of competitive professional and amateur games that are watched in action or online by fans, alongside more casual gaming on mobile phones. Technology companies in the field of media have also taken this opportunity to market. Earlier this year, Alphabet Inc’s Google introduced the market to Stadia, a new browser-based video game streaming service, which will be available through its cloud technology. Apple too has introduced a new digital video game subscription service called Apple Arcade.

    The new paradigm is that gaming companies are now offering much more interesting and interactive content that is creating social ties and connected communities of fans and players. This seems to be new leisure, entertainment, and social activities.