How Nigerian Consumers Are Interacting With Media, Entertainment & Technology

The world is in the digital age. As a result, information is disseminated and distributed more rapidly than ever before, particularly via social media platforms and search engines. Nigeria’s venture into the digital age is driven by deepened mobile penetration and the country’s growing and digitally savvy youth demography.

It has therefore become necessary for stakeholders in Nigeria to understand the current consumer trends and preferences in terms of how consumers are interacting with media, entertainment and technology.

Subsequently, BusinessDay Research & Intelligence Unit (BRIU) conducted a nationwide survey to assess consumers’ media usage activities, social media preferences, as well as level of usage. The chart below shows the States from which respondents were drawn. Lagos State with 35 percent accounted for the bulk of responses, which is unsurprising considering the level of broadband coverage, mobile penetration and internet activities within the State. According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in Q3 2016 on the telecommunications sector, Lagos ranked the highest with 12,957,617 internet users.

Focusing on six distinct age groups, the survey provides a snapshot of how consumers are interacting with media, entertainment and technology and considers their preferences in the future. The report was concluded in January 2018. 925 consumers completed the online survey. Respondents within the age group of 21 to 25 years old accounted for half of the total sample size.

The survey sought to gauge respondents’ consumption and preferences for the various channels and medium of entertainment including television, computers and laptops, mobile devices, as well as the content they mostly view through these distribution channels.

ENTERTAINMENT ACTIVITIES

Respondents were asked to rank their top three (3) preferred entertainment activities: Using the internet for social or personal interests accounted for the top activity with 78 percent; the second was watching television (on any device) with 58 percent, closely followed by listening to music on any device (57 percent).

Other ranked activities included: Reading books (any format) – 42 percent; Playing video games on any device (34 percent); Listening to the radio (any format and/or device) – 33 percent and Reading newspapers (either print or online) – 32 percent.

VIDEO

When queried on the kind of videos respondents watched on their laptops, tablets and mobile phones, TV show episodes/clips accounted for 58 percent of videos viewed on any of the abovementioned devices. Entire movies (downloaded versions) accounted for 51 percent of video consumption. Funny clips and videos constituted 46 percent closely followed by music videos with 43 percent of coverage.

Documentaries and Movie previews/promos accounted for 33 percent of videos consumed respectively, while news clips, entire movies (streamed version) and spiritual videos brought up the rear.

TELEVISION

Methods of Programming Content

Respondents were gauged on how they watched television content. Downloaded programming was the most popular method of watching content with 39 percent respondents admitting to the use of this method. Internet access granting users the ability to download and watch content including television shows and movie, coupled with the increasing adoption of media consumption via smartphones and laptops, could account for the adoption of downloaded programming.

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Live prgramming viewership accounted for the second most popular method of viewing television content with 28 percent of respondents. Live programming of sporting events particularly football and perhaps boxing, appears to drive viewing content among the male demographic in Nigeria. It plausibly drives consumption and demand for DStv and GoTV in the country. One of the biggest assets of DStv in Africa is sports because the brand owns the rights to most European league broadcast agreements in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria.

The third most popular method was On-demand programming or pay-per-view (with 16 percent of respondents). Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television service by which a subscriber of a television service provider can purchase events to view via private telecast. PPV is most commonly used to distribute combat sports events, such as boxing, mixed martial arts, and sports entertainment such as professional wrestling.

Streamed programming was the programming method adopted by 10 percent of respondents. Again, the internet, in addition to the use of mobile phones and laptops could be accountable for this.

Programming recorded on digital video recorder (DVR) brought up the rear with 7 percent of survey responses.

Paid Television Purchase Preference

When consumers were engaged on their preferred choice for purchasing paid television, 47 percent of respondents wished to subscribe only to channels they regularly watched as against a prepaid bouquet of channels offered. On the other hand, 43 percent preferred to subscribe to a package of channels. The remaining 10 percent expressed the wish to purchase only individual shows and events.

Associated activities while watching TV

Respondents were asked what things they typically did while watching their TV at home. 34 percent of consumers revealed using a social media network and 33 percent said they browsed and surfed the web.

SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE

Respondents were also gauged on their top 3 reasons for using various social media platforms comprising Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Twitter and Facebook.

HOUSEHOLD OWNERSHIP OF MEDIA OR HOME ENTERTAINMENT EQUIPMENT

Smartphones, used by 84 percent of the respondents, accounted for the highest number of media entertainment devices in the household. This was followed by laptops with 76 percent of respondents revealing their households possessed this device. Flat panel televisions in the household were identified by 65 percent of consumers. Tablets and desktop computers brought up the rear as a household media or home entertainment equipment by 38 percent and 26 percent of respondents respectively.