<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>A significant change in consumer viewing habits has taken place globally with the introduction and growth of over-the-top television services (OTT TV). In the absence of scientific evidence on television consumer behavior viewership changes, this paper’s objective was to ascertain the television viewing patterns, given the rise of OTT TV services in South Africa. The study adopted a quantitative research approach using a convenience sampling method. Online survey questionnaires were distributed on reputable social media networks and collected 391 responses. The study results suggest changes to TV consumption, in that more TV consumers are binge-watching and streaming content online. Furthermore, more than five hours a day are spent online consuming TV content, especially by male respondents. The sharing of OTT TV logon credentials with family and friends is prevalent across all demographic groups. The fundamental aspect of this paper is that it illuminates the rivalry between the Pay-Tv operators and OTT TV service providers while aiding the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to regulate the market.</p>
</abstract>

A significant change in consumer viewing habits has taken place globally with the introduction and growth of over-the-top television services (OTT TV). In the absence of scientific evidence on television consumer behavior viewership changes, this paper’s objective was to ascertain the television viewing patterns, given the rise of OTT TV services in South Africa. The study adopted a quantitative research approach using a convenience sampling method. Online survey questionnaires were distributed on reputable social media networks and collected 391 responses. The study results suggest changes to TV consumption, in that more TV consumers are binge-watching and streaming content online. Furthermore, more than five hours a day are spent online consuming TV content, especially by male respondents. The sharing of OTT TV logon credentials with family and friends is prevalent across all demographic groups. The fundamental aspect of this paper is that it illuminates the rivalry between the Pay-Tv operators and OTT TV service providers while aiding the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to regulate the market.

Over-the-Top Television Services and Changes in Consumer Viewing Patterns in South Africa

Management Dynamics in the Knowledge Economy

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

A significant change in consumer viewing habits has taken place globally with the introduction and growth of over-the-top television services (OTT TV). In the...

Over-the-Top Television Services and Changes in Consumer Viewing Patterns in South Africa

Published Online: Jul 17, 2021

Page range: 257 - 277

Received: Feb 25, 2021

Accepted: May 06, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mdke-2021-0018

Keywords
Over-the-top television (OTT TV), uses and gratifications theory, television viewing behaviors, binge-watching, Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA)

© 2021 Robertson Khan Tengeh et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Over-the-Top Television Services and Changes in Consumer Viewing Patterns in South Africa

Published Online: Jul 17, 2021

Page range: 257 - 277

Received: Feb 25, 2021

Accepted: May 06, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mdke-2021-0018

KeywordsOver-the-top television (OTT TV), uses and gratifications theory, television viewing behaviors, binge-watching, Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA)

© 2021 Robertson Khan Tengeh et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Over-the-top television (OTT TV), uses and gratifications theory, television viewing behaviors, binge-watching, Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA)