MUMBAI : When it comes to mobile video apps like YouTube, Hulu or Netflix, American consumers say that the best things in life are free. 63 per cent of survey respondents admit that "free or low subscription rates" is the most important attribute for a video app, according to a new study released by the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM) and US media research company Nielsen, In fact, as long as consumers can get the video app for free, or at a low cost, more than half (56 per cent) of respondents say they don‘t mind mobile ads on video apps—especially if it allows them to access content for free.

In addition, 65 per cent of video app users surveyed say that word-of-mouth plays an important role in deciding which video apps to use.

The study also shows that video app usage increases consumer engagement with TV programmes, networks and related websites. Roughly 85 per cent of video app users surveyed say they watch the same amount or more of regularly scheduled TV since they began using video apps, and nearly half (46 per cent) reported being more engaged with the programmes or networks associated with the video apps after accessing them.
 
In addition, 35 per cent report that video app usage causes them to visit the network or programme website associated with the video app more than they had before they started using the app.

Nielsen and CTAM also conducted the first-ever qualitative study of "sync-to-TV" apps which found that these apps increase consumers‘ engagement with television programming rather than distracting from it. Sync-to-TV refers to a second screen app on a tablet device that recognises audio codes embedded in a programme as it‘s broadcast through a TV set, and launches interactive and social networking features on the device that correspond with the programming on the TV screen.