AfterDawn: News

US VOD viewing up 59% over last year in first quarter

According to Rentrak, US Video On Demand (VOD) viewing for the first quarter of this year was up 59% from the same quarter a year before. Viewers reportedly watched 185 million hours of VOD programming. They also say the number of titles available for viewing increased 36% to more than 70,000.

“The operators and studios have been doing an excellent job of promoting the availability of movies on demand, thus increasing awareness and traffic in this category,” said Kristie Fortner, VP of syndication at Rentrak.



Not surprisingly, free VOD TV shows, offered by an increasing number of cable channels, saw the biggest increase at 50%. Close behind was subscription VOD with a 41% gain. This category includes content offered with premium channels like HBO and Showtime. The smallest gain was in transactional VOD, which is essentially the replacement for traditional Pay-Per-View. The increase for these offerings was a much lower 11%.

Written by: Rich Fiscus @ 30 May 2008 1:57

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• 3 comments

• Blackjax

  I do like the VOD stuff. I refuse to be chained to a TV and will miss shows for the more important things in life, like living one. Sorry hollywood everything doesn't revolve around your ego's! The next story you see will be the mafiaa blaming the 11% on pirates. I guess those missed "transactional vod's" are hurting the cause of empty hummer tanks everywhere.

  30.5.2008 02:41 #1

• ikari

  I can't agree with you more blackjax. I like to watch shows when the weather is crappy or I am sick. Other than that, I love to actually live life instead of watching others live theirs.. :-)

  30.5.2008 14:06 #2

• Mr-Movies

  That's why I have had Tivo's for so long VOD is intersting but too expensive and for what you all are doing why expend more monies. The only advantage, if they have the movie/show available, is that you don't have to wait for the program to be showed which is a minimal advantage. Besides they just don't provide enough content to make it viable for my use, maybe in a decade they will.

  4.6.2008 03:15 #3