Gibb+D+focus+group+report

Gibb D

TO: Proximity Video Team FROM: Daisy Gibb SUBJECT: Video Focus Group Report DATE: March 30, 2010

Here is my report on a focus group I ran with five males on their habits of watching premium content, focusing on if and how they watch that content through the internet. I was able to ask all five questions developed by our team. Most participants reported they enjoy watching their premium content in real time and if they do use online streaming video then they watch it on their computer for free and do not wish to pay.


 * Focus Group Rationale**

For our spring 2010 video focus group session, we want to determine how clients are watching premium content, whether it’s through platforms, online streaming, or real time content. By premium content we are referring to first run television shows or movies. Our group will focus on how much people know about the different systems available and which they would prefer to use. Information gathered from this focus group session will help us properly advise our Gen Y clients about the current and future trends of viewing premium content.


 * Setting and Participants**

The 30 minute session was held at my cousin’s house on Saturday, March 6, 2010. The male participants were:
 * Arty, 23, a Towson University senior business major;
 * Dain, 20, a UMBC junior visual arts film major;
 * Nick, 19, an Employer at Ledo’s Pizza;
 * Alex, 17, a junior at Kenwood High, Nick’s brother;
 * Chris, 20, a UMBC junior biochemistry and molecular biology major.

We covered the following three topics during the session:
 * Session Topics**

__How premium content is watched__ All the participants except Alex watch most of their movies on DVD. Alex watches his movies on Megavideo because “there are a lot of movies to choose from.” Some of the men listed a few shows they like to watch live every week. Chris likes to watch football “because it's no fun watching once you know what has already been decided.” He also prefers to watch his shows live “since it is bigger and better-quality.” All the participants except Nick watch TV. When the other four miss their shows on broadcast TV they go online to watch them.

__Which platforms are used__ These men use online streaming video sites like Hulu, Megavideo, and Surf the Channel. Chris likes to download his content because it has better quality and is free of advertisements. He thinks that “streaming stuff is more like a backup plan in the case of time limits or unavailability.” None of these men use hardware platforms to watch online streaming content on their television. Alex and Arty each own an Xbox but use it only for playing video games on and offline.

__A pay model for online streaming premium content__ Only Alex was aware that it was possible to receive online streaming content through a hardware platform straight to the TV. Alex says he doesn’t want to use this service because “it costs money and gets complicated with the Xbox point system.” Arty said he would consider using the Xbox service for online content in the future when he is done with school and has more time in the evenings. Alex was the only participant willing to pay for online streaming premium content through a website. He would pay up to $5 a month or $30-$40 per year for that service. For the most part these men are content with watching regular content online and new movies when they come out in distribution.


 * Findings**

The session revealed that these male participants
 * are content with watching their shows on TV broadcast;
 * go on their computer to watch online streaming content that they missed;
 * are not willing to pay for online streaming premium content.

These results are particularly important for our clients who sell gender coded products for Gen Y. These findings suggest that men watch broadcast TV primarily for watching sports and that streaming video online is basically a back up. The men in this focus group use streaming content, they are just not willing to pay for it. Surprisingly, only one man knew how to use an Xbox for streaming online video content. We should compare this finding to other all male focus group results.