43% of UK viewers in Virgin TiVo homes mostly watch time-shifted TV

"The latest study and statistics from Virgin Media have revealed technology is transforming the way the nation watches television.
Data from over 2.3 million Virgin Media TiVo® set-top boxes shows a fifth of all TV is now watched in a time-shifted format; either first recorded onto the hard drive of a set-top box or else watched on demand. This was not even possible twelve years ago before the first personal video recorders or cable television’s introduction of video on demand by a precursor to Virgin Media. Virgin Media customers already watch over one billion programmes on demand each year.
According to the latest study by Virgin Media, almost half (43%) of people mostly watch time-shifted TV, with 20% tuning in to live TV only for must-see moments. Just 30% predominantly watch live TV.
Growth in the popularity of time-shifted TV has been driven by a boom in series stacking and the availability of entire Box Sets on demand, allowing people to watch multiple episodes of TV series back-to-back. One in ten says they dedicate all their viewing time to a single series at a time, with 40% switching between different series depending on their mood.
Data from Virgin Media reveals recorded TV series and one-off shows are typically watched within 14 days after having been broadcast, while movies are often kept for longer and enjoyed on a weekend.
Second-screen trending
Over a third (34%) of people are using second screens while watching TV. 78% of these multi-taskers are typically checking and updating social media sites.
Virgin Media data shows customers are being influenced by social media recommendations. They are quick to set up a series link when a show trends online, giving rise to a surge in ‘reflex recording’. Online buzz around season premieres of popular shows like The Great British Bake Off and Dynamo spark the biggest surges in setting up automatic recordings for entire series on Virgin Media TiVo.
Virgin Media data also suggests people are also using their smartphones, tablets and computers to avoid telly-viewing conflicts, with sports content often getting relegated second screens when there’s a big match on. On the last day of the Premier League this year, Virgin Media saw a 38% increase in the use of Virgin TV Anywhere, the most comprehensive streaming service in the country, as viewers tuned in to watch the final."

Source:  Data from Virgin Media, reported on their blog, 9th October 2014