Tablet owners are significantly more likely to use...

Tablet owners are significantly more likely to use over-the-top (OTT) service apps than those offered by both TV networks and operators, a study by The Diffusion Group (TDG) found. Nearly 50 percent of adult tablet owners report using OTT video apps on occasion, compared with 37 percent who use broadcast network apps, 31 percent using cable network apps and 23 percent that use TV operator apps, said the report, released Thursday (http://bit.ly/UwTO4B). The use of tablet apps for both free and fee-based online services isn’t only more widespread, “but occurs more frequently than the use of TV-specific apps,” it said. More than 40 percent of tablet users use OTT service apps at least once a month, compared with 26 percent who use apps from the big four broadcasters, it said. More than 20 percent of tablet users use cable channel apps, and 16 percent “turn to TV operator apps at least once a month,” it said. Although most of the larger U.S. TV providers now offer a robust collection of TV programs for viewing through “service-specific apps,” only 23 percent of tablet owners have used them during the past 12 months, it said. The research was culled from 1,500 online interviews, TDG said.