With millions of people all over the world staying home to weather the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s no secret we’re watching more TV, movies and streaming stuff than ever, but a new survey shows just how our viewing habits have changed because of it.
The poll of 5,000 people from China, France, India, and the U.S. commissioned by Dolby shows that people are spending more time than ever on immersive entertainment experiences and streaming content — and more dough than ever improving their home entertainment set up to watch it.
Consumer spending on content has increased by 72% in the U.S. in the last six months, led by Gen X and millennials; the latter demographic boosted their spending by an average of 38%.
Seventy-seven percent of all of those polled say they’d pay more for better picture or sound quality, with 64% saying they’ve upgraded at least one streaming service to a premium version for just that.
Ninety-seven percent of consumers in India, 94% in China, and 55% in France have also spent more to keep themselves entertained at home.
Eighty-two percent of those polled say they plan to purchase a new device to boost their enjoyment of entertainment at home, while 64% say they’re planning to upgrade their “living room experience” with home theater and other gear.
With social distancing the new normal, more people than ever are connecting virtually with family and friends to enjoy the same shows and movies simultaneously: 87% say they’ve done so for the first time ever this year. That includes taking on the phone while watching the same shows (45%), live-texting while doing so (44%), and video chatting while enjoying the same content with friends (43%)