Fact Sheet - Key Takeaways from Three MDA Surveys on Media Consumption

14 July 2016 - The Media Development Authority conducts the annual Media Consumer Experience Study and Zero-to-Fourteen Consumer Experience Study to keep its finger on the pulse of local consumers’ media consumption habits and preferences, and to assess their satisfaction with the media services and content standards.

Background

1. The Media Development Authority conducts the annual Media Consumer Experience Study and Zero-to-Fourteen Consumer Experience Study to keep its finger on the pulse of local consumers’ media consumption habits and preferences, and to assess their satisfaction with the media services and content standards. With the growth in online content services, MDA also launched its inaugural Over-The-Top Video Consumer Study this year to measure viewing habits and usage of such platforms.

Key findings from Media Consumer Experience Study​ (754.47KB)​

2. The fourth edition of the Media Consumer Experience Study (MCES) was conducted between October and December 2015 with a sample size of 2,000 Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 15 to 65. The summarised key findings were:
   
   
   1. Consumers were generally satisfied with local media services and content classification standards 
      • Satisfaction with media services scored 76.6% in 2015, up from 75.7% in 2014. In particular, respondents recorded an improvement in satisfaction with the quality and variety of media content, and customer service standards.
      • There was also an improvement in satisfaction levels with content standards, rising to 74.1% in 2015 from 72.4% a year earlier. 
   2. Media consumption habits remained consistent over the last few years
      • Watching Mediacorp channels remained as the top media activity in terms of time spent at 17.4 hours per week. This was followed closely by viewing media via websites and apps at 17.3 hours per week.
      • Respondents generally relied on traditional media to discover TV shows, and digital media for online content.
      • Most respondents (99.1%) who watch Mediacorp TV watched the platform ​at least monthly.
      • The subscription rate of Pay TV services recorded a marginal decline to 68.2% in 2015, from 69.3% in 2014.

Key findings from Zero-to-Fourteen Consumer Experience Study​

3. MDA’s second Zero-to-Fourteen Consumer Experience Study surveyed 1,200 Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 14 years and below between November and December 2015. The survey focused on understanding children’s traditional and online media consumption behaviour and habits, and delved into their usage patterns of the Internet and social media. The summarised key findings were:
   
   
   1. Watching Mediacorp channels remained top media activity for children   
      • On average, children spent 0.9 hours daily watching Mediacorp channels. However, younger children aged six and below spent the most time watching non-Mediacorp and Pay TV content.
      • Of those who watched Mediacorp programmes (59.8%), Okto was the most often watched channel.
   2. More children were going online at a younger age
      • Almost 8 in 10 children (79.8%) have used the Internet before, and the average starting age was 6.1 years old.
      • The smartphone remained the device which was most frequently used to access the Internet, followed by the tablet and handheld video game player.
      • 65.0% of children have used social media, with the average starting age being 8.6 years old. Of this group, YouTube came out top as the most frequented and favourite social media site among children.

Key findings from Over-The-Top (OTT)¹  Video Consumer Study​ (728.79KB)

4. MDA’s OTT Video Study is aimed at providing insights into OTT video usage patterns, viewing preferences and habits among consumers. A total of 2,585 Singaporeans and Permanent Residents aged 65 and below were interviewed between October and November 2015.
   
   
   1. More than half of those polled accessed online content
      • More than half of consumers (54%) have watched online videos. This number was the highest among millennials (aged 15 to 34) at 89%.
      • The most used online video services were YouTube (96%) and social networks such as Facebook and Instagram (59%).
      • Younger OTT viewers spent a greater proportion of their viewing time on online videos compared to traditional TV (Children – 65%, Millennials – 61%, Adults aged 35 to 54 – 48%, Adults aged 55 to 65 – 43% of their total viewing time​).
   2. Viewing preferences & habits
      • The top genres of online videos were Drama (40%), Movies (25%), Sports (10%), and Entertainment & Variety (8%) for adults; and Animation & Cartoons (59%) for children.
      • Online videos were most frequently consumed on mobile phones for adults (41%), while the most frequently used device varied for children according to their age. For example, children below 6 years old preferred watching videos on the tablet while those between 11 and 14 years old preferred the smartphone and the computer.
      • Multitasking on a second screen was a more common behaviour in millennial OTT viewers (60%), and OTT viewers aged 11 to 14 (58%).
      • Only 11% of adult OTT viewers were paying for online videos. Majority of those paying (67%), were doing so on top of their existing pay TV subscription and made no changes to their pay TV subscription. ost used online video services were YouTube (96%) and social networks such as Facebook and Instagram (59%).

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¹ Over-The-Top refers to the delivery of content to local consumers via the Internet onto Internet-enabled devices such as smartphones, tablets, and connected TVs.

About Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA)

The Media Development Authority of Singapore (www.mda.gov.sg) promotes the growth of globally competitive film, television, radio, publishing, games, animation and interactive digital media industries. It also regulates the media sector to safeguard the interests of consumers, and promotes a connected society. MDA is a statutory board under the Ministry of Communications and Information (www.mci.gov.sg).