New research conducted by The Nielsen Company reveals the "Extreme Techies" segment stream significantly more online video content, watching up to 91 minutes (1.5 hours) per week, compared to the mean of 44 minutes for all broadband viewers. Representing eight percent of the total adult 18 and older broadband population, which equals 4.6 million viewers, this group is the most advanced of all segments in consumption of online video. Furthermore, they are technology innovators, with 38% connecting their computers to their televisions via devices such as a Media Center PC or direct connection to view TV and movie content.

This comprehensive study, "Crossing Over: Understanding Viewer Multi-Screen Migration," was commissioned by the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing and is based on a complex, multi-dimensional segmentation analysis developed by The Nielsen Company.

The study profiles Extreme Techies as exhibiting the following attitudes and behaviors:

• 63% are male, with a mean age of 31 and an average annual income of $67,000.
• 47% are married and 57% have children in the home under the age of 18.
• 74% report accessing video content over their computers using the Internet.
• 64% (vs. 30% for the total sample) say that watching TV shows online adds to their regular TV viewing.
• 60% (vs. 33% total sample) report they typically know what they want to watch online before they sit down at their computer.
• 55% (vs. 23% total sample) report they have found shows online and watched them on TV.
• Highest ownership of cross-platform devices used to view TV or movie content, with an average of slightly over four devices (compared to average of two for the total sample).
• Highest viewership on devices such as console gaming systems (46%), cell phones (33%), and set top media boxes (17%).
• 26% report planning to add to their television service (e.g. additional channels or services) in the next six months.
• They see themselves as ambitious, adventurous, tech-savvy and spontaneous.

The Segments and Technology Adoption Curve

The study identified eight distinct broadband user segments, determined by their levels of engagement with video content across TV, online and mobile platforms, the devices they used to consume content and their motivations for and attitudes toward using multiple platforms. These segments can be overlaid on the traditional adoption curve to illustrate those leading the trends, pushing behaviors to the mainstream, or unlikely to adopt in the near term.

Strategy and Methodology

"Crossing Over: Understanding Viewer Multi-Screen Migration" consisted of an online quantitative survey fielded using Nielsen's proprietary MegaPanel, which captures all online behavior including Web site visitation, streaming behavior and overall minutes spent online. A hierarchical multi-dimensional segmentation model was also developed during this study in order to more comprehensively explore the distribution of digital media consumers within the current three-screen marketplace.

The survey was fielded from January 23 to February 9, 2009. The total sample consisted of 750 adults (18 years or older) who subscribed to cable, satellite or television service from a telephone/RBOC company, watch at least five hours of television per week. Respondents owned and used a computer with a high speed connection and have seen any video content (thirty seconds in length or longer) online in the last 30 days.