In the not-too-distant past, watching TV meant sitting in front of a screen at home, waiting for a program to come on at a scheduled time. The picture is slightly different today, as more consumers are shifting their media time away from traditional television, opting for online video-on-demand (VOD) services that are creating entertainment opportunities for users who have increasingly more control over what, when and how they watch video content.

Viewers are in the midst of a migration toward original digital video channels such as YouTube Originals, live streaming on social platforms and subscription VOD (SVOD) services. Indeed, according to a global poll released by global information and measurement company Nielsen in March this year, nearly two-thirds of respondents in 61 countries said that they watch some form of VOD content. This is not to mention that in recent years, it has become the norm to view such content on smartphones and tablets, as opposed to home computers.

"Today's media landscape is complex, but the growth of video-on-demand programming services can create opportunities for all players in the media ecosystem," says Megan Clarken, president of Nielsen Product Leadership. "For audiences, advertisers and content providers alike, advantage will be gained with an in-depth and keen understanding of not just how consumer viewing dynamics are changing, but why they are changing."