70% of Americans Binge-Watch TV Shows, Study Finds

Binge-watching, a term of watching lots of episodes of a TV show one after another, is incredibly popular among Americans, according to a new study. Consulting firm Deloitte released a study this week that claims 70 percent of Americans binge-watch TV shows. According to their data, Americans watch an average of five episodes per binge-watching session. How does that stack up against your own habits?

Variety has the scoop on the study. It was conducted in fall 2015, and also concluded that 61 percent of streaming subscribers said Internet video services such as Netflix and Hulu were among their three most-valued paid services. This is up substantially from 17 percent in 2012, speaking to the rising prominence and profile of digital streaming platforms.

The most popular binge-watching genre among respondents was drama (53 percent), followed by comedy (17 percent) and reality TV (7 percent). Some dramas are known to end on cliffhangers, and with the "Watch Next Episode" button just one click away, it's not hard to see why it's the top binge-watching genre.

The study also found that people aged 14-25 place a higher value on streaming services than traditional pay TV, while those in the older age bracket ranked cable/satellite services higher.

Additionally, Deloitte's study found that 46 percent of Americans now subscribe to some streaming service, while millennials spend more time watching Netflix/Hulu/etc. than live television.

Deloitte's Kevin Westcott stressed that traditional TV remains "very powerful," but, when it comes to marketing reach for younger generations, online services and social networks may be better avenues.

"If I'm a marketer, I have to think about, how do I reach them through social channels… and how to leverage endorsements from social influencers," he said.

Results of the survey were based on the responses of 2,205 US consumers from November 5-19, 2015. Data for the survey, the 10th annual "Digital Democracy Survey," was then weighted.

While we're on the subject of binge-watching....Netflix has just announced what's coming to the service and leaving it for April 2016.