This undated image from Yonhap News TV shows an over-the-top (OTT) platform on a tablet.
SEOUL, Jan. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — Streaming platforms such as Netflix and YouTube are bringing about changes not only in the landscape of the content market but also in consumers’ viewing patterns.
An increasing number of viewers are going beyond the practice of consuming content at the time they want towards the act of watching content 1.25x, 1.5x, and 2x faster than normal.
“There are many things that I’d like to watch but time is limited. That’s why I started watching content at a faster speed,” said a 27-years-old office worker surnamed Kim, who used to watch content at speed of 1.5 times the normal.
“After about one year of doing so, the normal speed was too slow for me. So, I stopped watching TV programs.”
In addition, there are some who enjoy watching content faster by flipping the frames in a video clip in units of 10 seconds, or consuming content in a summarized format uploaded on YouTube.
There are voices criticizing such trends. Critics claim that watching content faster than normal speed is against the intention of the creators.
Some platforms like Disney+ do not provide speed-watching functions.
Experts note that the practice of watching content at a faster than normal speed is one of the proactive viewing patterns, adding that such trends are bringing forward a crisis for traditional media such as TVs.
“The decline in overall viewing rates for TV programs coincides with the emergence of new viewing patterns,” said Jung Duk-hyun, a pop culture critic.
“Traditional platforms such as TVs are going for content-centered business rather than relying on the power of platforms.”
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
