In this study, Inscape leveraged viewer journey insights around the Big Game across linear, vMVPD, and a popular streaming platform to unlock pre- and post-game consumption habits.

Overview

This year's Big Game was the most-watched TV program in U.S. history, according to Statista. As in years past, millions of viewers accessed the broadcast across multiple platforms including linear TV, vMVPD services, and streaming platforms. While having viewing options benefits consumers, this fragmentation creates challenges for content providers trying to understand how and where audiences are watching.

Today's publishers need data-driven insights to engage viewers across all platforms effectively. Using Inscape’s glass-level measurement solutions, we analyzed viewer engagement across multiple platforms to identify audience origins, viewing behaviors, and post-event consumption patterns.

Objective

To demonstrate how Inscape’s comprehensive viewer journey measurement for major live TV events like the Big Game provides streaming providers with actionable insights that drive engagement and increase subscriptions through deeper understanding of cross-platform viewing patterns.

Challenge

The streaming revolution is fundamentally changing how audiences consume live content. The market lacks unified viewing data to accurately measure cross-platform audience engagement. Key challenges include:

• Rapid platform migration: In Q3 of 2024, 27.6% of live linear viewing shifted to streaming platforms.
• Fragmented viewing behavior: Audiences now split their time across multiple platforms

            → 55% of all viewing time on opted-in VIZIO devices occurs through streaming

            → Viewers use an average of 5.4 streaming services per VIZIO device

Approach

Inscape applied advanced measurement capabilities to provide a unified view of the complete viewer journey during the most recent Big Game broadcast, focusing on one FAST provider’s audience behavior. Our analysis tracked three critical phases:

1. Pre-game analysis: Where viewers came from and their historical viewing patterns
2. Live event tracking: How audiences engaged during the broadcast
3. Post-game behavior: Retention and ongoing platform usage

The Results

Where They Came From

• 58% were new to the FAST service, representing significant acquisition opportunity
• Higher engagement profiles – Viewers of the FAST service consumed more SVOD, AVOD, and FAST content in the 30 days leading up to the game compared to traditional linear and vMVPD viewers measured by Inscape in the same period.

How They Watched

• Extended engagement: 26% of viewers tuned into the game for an average of 163 minutes, slightly exceeding both traditional linear (162 minutes) and vMVPD (161 minutes).
• Platform distribution: Among Inscape viewers, 55% watched the game on traditional linear, 26% on the FAST service analyzed, and only 19% of vMVPD services.

What They Did Next

• Strong retention: 24% of new users to the FAST service continued using the service after the game ended
• Heavy user conversion: 2.9% of the retained users were classified as “heavy” users, indicating successful engagement conversion

Key Insights

This analysis reveals several important insights:

• Major TV events can serve as powerful acquisition tools
• Streaming audiences demonstrate higher overall engagement
• Post-event retention rates indicate successful conversion strategies

Conclusions

Understanding cross-platform viewing patterns is essential for driving engagement, building audience trust, and demonstrating inventory value. Inscape’s glass-level measurement capabilities give streaming providers the comprehensive viewer journey insights needed to optimize their strategies around major TV moments. By offering a complete picture of audience behavior across all platforms, Inscape enables data-driven decisions that maximize engagement, improve retention, and demonstrate clear ROI. 

Ready to leverage these insights for your streaming strategy? Complete the form below to connect with an Inscape representative and start the journey today.

Disclaimer: The information and results presented are not guarantees of the future performance of Inscape and are subject to factors which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ from expectations.