When the pandemic disrupted media consumption habits, many listeners were forced to find new ways to access their favorite radio shows and stations. While smartphones were a go-to device, smart TVs and even gaming consoles were pressed into service for listening to radio and streaming music. Now a new study shows how much smart TVs are being used today for non-TV functions, including audio streaming.
New data from Hub Entertainment, as reported by Media Play News, shows 75% of smart TV owners use their devices for at least one non-TV function. Among them are streaming music, controlling smart home tech appliances, surfing the web, and accessing social media accounts.
So-called alternative smart TV use varies by demo. About 90% of 16–34-year-olds use a non-TV feature, compared to 55% of 55–74-year-olds.
While the overall usage of non-TV features has increased somewhat since 2020, Hub found the most popular non-TV feature is listening to a streaming music or audio service. Mirroring or casting another device’s screen to the smart TV came in second place. This practice has nearly tripled in use during the past three years, Media Play News says.
The report found that more than 80% of users of each non-TV feature say they are very or somewhat satisfied with the performance of that feature.
With consumers embracing non-TV uses for their smart sets, Hub suggests the concept of making smart TVs the “hub” of home technology – media, smart home, or otherwise – is not so farfetched. “Just as smartphones have evolved well beyond their primary mission of calling and texting, so also we may see smart TVs take on more non-video functions as they evolve – creating new benefits for consumers and new opportunities for OEMs, app developers, and marketers,” David Tice, Senior Consultant, Hub Entertainment Research, told Media Play News in a statement.
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