Think There’s Room For Growth? 75% Of U.S. Didn’t Download Anything Last Quarter

A new NPD report, The Connected Experience: Building a Bridge Between Devices & Content, shows that while consumers are using connected devices to access digital entertainment content, there is still a great deal of room for growth. 75% of U.S. consumers age 13 and older did not connect or download any digital content in the previous 3 months.

The good news? 15% connected and downloaded content via PC or Mac computer; 6% connected with a video-game player; 4% connected via smartphone; and 2% connected via a Blu-ray Disc (BD) player or a digital video player, like Apple TV or Roku.

"What we learned in our research is that while some people already experience the world in a connected way, most do not," said Russ Crupnick, VP and senior entertainment analyst for NPD. "For many who are connecting it is not about the flashiest apps, but more about the fundamentals like web browsing and email."

Devices with associated services, like XBox Live and Amazon's Kindle store, are driving content associated with particular types of devices, but owners are consuming more general content, as well; for example, smartphone platforms are increasingly accessing a range of media services, from games to music to video to productivity apps. "Discoverability, driven by a rich user experience, is key to content exposure," according to Anita Frazier, industry analyst for toys and video games for NPD.