Almost 84% Of UAE Consumers Watch Streamed Content Over TV

On-demand streaming has surpassed traditional TV viewing in the UAE, according to a new report by technology firm Ericsson.

Around 84 per cent of the UAE consumers watch streamed content compared to 76 per cent who watch scheduled broadcast TV several times a week, it found.

The study was conducted among 1,000 respondents with broadband connection at home. The sample represents 67 per cent of people in the age group of 16 to 59 years.

In the UAE, the viewing time on smartphones and tablets was higher than the global average, the study showed.

Consumers in the Emirates viewed streamed content on an average of 4.7 hours compared to the global average of 3.1 hours. Meanwhile, the UAE users spent three hours on average watching content on tablets, outpacing the global average of 2.7 hours, the study showed.

Almost 37 per cent of UAE consumers said that they wanted to be able to watch their favoured content on any device.

“Our research shows that in the UAE, viewing time on mobile devices is relatively high compared to the global average,” said Rafiah Ibrahim, president of Ericsson in Region Middle East.

“With UAE consumers expecting to watch on demand content anytime and anywhere, we continue to work with our partners to offer mobile subscribers the best mobile broadband experience possible.”

The UAE ranks highest in the world in terms of smartphone penetration with 73.8 per cent of consumers owning smartphones.

Recently, Google revealed that that 40 per cent of views on YouTube in the UAE came from mobile devices as the region’s audience increasingly migrates to online platforms from traditional sources such as TV and radio.