Video Viewing During Commutes and School Rides ~What are people watching on trains and buses?~

In recent years, with the proliferation of smartphones and tablets, it has become common to see many people watching videos on trains and buses. The content being viewed—dramas, anime, news, etc.—is as varied as the people themselves. However, while we intuitively felt the number of video viewers had increased, we didn't have a clear grasp of what specific video content they were watching or on which platforms. To understand the actual situation, we conducted an online survey on "Video Viewing During Commutes and School Runs" targeting commuters aged 18-49 and students (high school to university) traveling to school. We asked about their methods of watching videos during commutes/school runs, the genres of content they watch, and their reasons for watching. Here are the results.

 

■ Approximately 50% of commuters and students watch videos during their commute or school trip; about 20% of younger age groups watch daily

 

We asked commuters and students who travel by train or bus how often they watch videos during their commute. Approximately 50% watch some kind of video, and among students, about 60% watch videos. Furthermore, the percentage of people who watch videos daily (at least once a day) during their commute or school trip is 21.8% for male commuters aged 18-29, 18.6% for those aged 30-39, 18.4% for female commuters aged 18-29, 21.4% for male students, and 19.6% for female students. This means about 20% of people, primarily younger individuals, watch videos daily.

[Video Viewing Frequency During Commute/Commute to School]

*Results from screening questions targeting individuals who commute by train or bus.
Does not include those who commute or travel to school on foot, by bicycle, or by car.

■ About one-third of train or bus travel time is spent watching videos

 

So, what percentage of their commute time do they spend watching videos? We asked commuters and students about the average percentage of their one-way commute time spent watching videos on days they watch videos. The results showed that for male commuters aged 18-29, female commuters aged 18-29, commuters aged 30-39, and students of both genders, the figure was around 35%. This reveals that people spend about one-third of their time riding trains or buses watching videos.

[Video Viewing Share During Commutes/Commuting]

 

■ Shared video services overwhelmingly dominate viewing

 

Next, we asked commuters and students how they watch videos. The results showed that shared video services like YouTube and Niconico Video were overwhelmingly popular at around 80% across all age groups. Female students stood out with a particularly high usage rate of 91.6%. TV broadcast-based video services were used by about half of commuters: 51.8% of male commuters aged 40-49 and 50.6% of female commuters aged 30-39. Interestingly, streaming video services like d video and Hulu showed consistent usage rates of about 25% across all age groups.

[Video Viewing Methods During Commutes/Commutes to School]

 

■ Popular content genres on TV are also widely viewed

 

Next, when asked what content genres they watch, the "PV/Music" genre, popular among younger audiences, was frequently viewed. However, it was also notable that many popular TV content genres like "News/Reporting," "Sports," "Variety," "Comedy," "Dramas," and "Anime" were widely watched.

【Content Genres Watched】

 

In other words, even though shared video services are the most watched across all age groups, the content being viewed consists mostly of genres popular on television.

 

■ Reasons for watching videos during commutes: killing time and relieving travel stress

 

Finally, we asked commuters and students why they watch videos. The overwhelming majority responded that it was "just the thing to kill time," filling their spare moments. This result is hardly surprising. However, it was also very interesting to find that many young women watch videos specifically to "escape the stress of commuting."

[Reasons for Watching Videos During Commutes]

 

In recent years, as smartphone displays have grown larger and tablets are expected to become more widespread, an environment conducive to video viewing has been established. Video viewing on trains and buses is expected to continue increasing.

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【 Survey Overview 】
・Research Company: Dentsu Macromill Insight, Inc.
・Survey Method: Internet survey
・Survey Period: Thursday, June 19, 2014 to Saturday, June 21, 2014
・Survey Area: Tokyo Metropolitan Area (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama)
・Sample Size: 664 respondents aged 15–49 (both genders)
(1) Commuters: Working individuals aged 18 to 40s ( 498 respondents)
    (6 cells × 83 ss = Total 498 ss: 18–29-year-old men/30s men/40s men/18–29-year-old women/30s women/40s women)
(2) Students: High school, technical college, vocational school, and university students (up to age 25), 166 subjects
    　(2 cells by gender × 83 ss = total 166 ss)
・Target conditions (this question): Commuters/students who take trains or buses and watch videos at least once a week during their commute/school trip