A Third Is More Likely to Binge-watch Than Watch Weekly Releases

TV viewing habits have evolved significantly over the years. In the early days of television, viewers had limited channels to choose from and could only watch shows at specific times. As technology advanced, and with the rise of streaming services in particular, the way society watches TV shows has changed dramatically.

One of the biggest changes has been the shift towards binge-watching, where viewers consume entire seasons of a show in a short period rather than waiting for weekly releases. The all-at-once release strategy has given viewers even more control over their viewing habits. Nonetheless, traditional weekly releases remain to have their own appeal. It allows building anticipation and excitement in between releases and for more watercooler moments, where fans can discuss and theorize about what will happen next.

Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference. With the rise of streaming services and the increasing number of shows with different release models, viewers have more options than ever to choose from.

Real Research, an online survey app, attempted to gather data on the matter through a survey on TV viewing habits: binge-watching vs. weekly releases.

The report on binge-watching vs. weekly releases highlights the following:

• 33.9% are more likely to binge-watch, while the rest (31.5%) opt to watch weekly releases
• 30.4% say a TV show’s release schedule greatly influences respondents’ decision to watch
• 32.41% say their TV viewing habits are extremely influential on how the story affects them as a viewer

Binge-Watching vs. Weekly Releases

TV viewing habits can vary depending on factors and preferences for how viewers consume and engage with television content, such as through binge-watching and watching weekly releases. Binge-watching refers to the practice of watching multiple episodes of a TV show in one sitting. On the other hand, the traditional style of watching in weekly releases refers to watching a single episode of a TV show released regularly once per week.

The report on binge-watching vs. weekly releases reveals that most survey respondents (34.6%) are neither binge-watchers nor viewers of weekly releases. However, between binge-watching vs. weekly releases, 33.9% are more likely to binge-watch, while the rest (31.5%) opt to watch weekly releases.

The Weekly Drop Format

If a TV show follows a weekly drop format, 27.44% are more likely to watch its episodes according to its release schedule (weekly releases), while 26.65% wait and catch up once all the episodes are released. Meanwhile, 27.1% watch anytime, regardless of the release schedule.

The Binge Drop Format

This release strategy of dropping all-at-once an entire season of a TV show allows a viewer to watch multiple episodes of a show in one sitting. Likewise, the survey results show that 25.8% try to watch a full season in a day. The rest watch more than five episodes a day (21.13%), 4-5 episodes a day (21.85%), 2-3 episodes a day (14.55%), or at least one episode a day (7.53%).

In terms of how long it takes them to finish a full season of a TV show, most reported in a day (24.01%), while others take a much longer time from 2-3 days (18.56%), 4-5 days (19.51%), 6-7 days (14.72%), and even more than a week (10.27%).

Battles of the Advantages: Binge-watching vs. Weekly Releases

For the main advantage of binge-watching over watching weekly releases, most (22.36%) have chosen the power it gives to decide whether or not to watch a show all at once. 16.3% say binge-watching allows viewers to immerse themselves in a show fully, and 15.54% say it allows viewers to consume a large amount of content quickly.

On the other hand, the main advantage of watching weekly releases over binge-watching, according to 16.19%, is it allows more social engagement and discussion between episodes.

Others (14.79%) note the excitement that can build and retain for a longer time between releases, while some (14.23%) cite that it encourages viewer loyalty in the long term.

The Influence of Release Schedules on Viewers

Regarding the extent to which a show’s release schedule (weekly release or binge-drop strategy) influences respondents’ decision to watch, the majority (30.4%) say ‘to a great extent.’ 23.39% say ‘very much,’ 22.43% say ‘somewhat,’ and 13.15% say ‘a little.’

In addition, the respondents’ TV viewing habits (weekly vs. binge watching) also seem to influence how the story affects them as a viewer. 32.41% say it is ‘extremely influential,’ 27.42% say ‘very influential,’ and 22.02% say it is ‘somewhat influential.’

Which Would Bring Success to a Show?

According to 36.89% of survey respondents, the weekly release strategy is more effective in bringing success to a show than the binge-drop strategy, voted by 25.72%. 24.23% believe it is the combination of both release strategies, while 13.16% say neither can bring success to a show.