The Cultivation of Catch-Up TV Services

As catch-up television services seem to be gaining popularity around the globe, one can’t help but wonder if this feature will permeate the U.S. any time soon.

A recent YouGov study found that approximately one-fifth of British television viewers utilize catch-up TV as part of their viewing ritual.

What is catch-up TV? Essentially, it’s a form of video on-demand that allows the user to scroll backwards through their on-screen guide to find programming they may have missed. In most scenarios, the electronic program guide (EPG) of the past is available for the previous seven days.

If someone learns that a show they’re interested in has already started, or they forgot to record something that has already been aired, all they have to do is locate and select it in the EPG for instant viewing from the beginning.

Companies such as YouView, FreeView, Sky, Virgin Media and France’s TV5Monde currently offer this feature to viewers.

Research from Philips Uwand revealed an increase in catch-up service usage from 48% in 2012 to 61% in 2014 as more people have acquired Smart TVs.

Will we see it appear in this format in the U.S. sometime soon?

Here’s a demonstration of YouView’s catch-up TV:




Author: Brian Cameron

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