Even the casual observer to the tech scene knows that Apple’s trio of iOS devices are exploding. Sales of the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch are in the millions of millions and as a result, the number of iOS users actively using applications on a daily basis has mushroomed. According to mobile application analytics firm Flurry, there are over 19 million people who spend 20 minutes a day playing, tweeting, and browsing from their favorite iOS apps.
Rather than release the raw numbers in a dry presentation, Flurry takes the above 19 million figure and compares it to another common daily activity – watching TV. The data reveals that more people use iOS applications than watch major primetime TV shows and popular sports broadcasts! This 19 million figure is larger than the number of people who sit down on their couch to watch Sunday Night Football, NCIS: Los Angeles, or The Mentalist. While it falls in the middle of the chart, the number of iOS users is extremely close to NCIS and Dancing with the Stars. It is also a mere 4 million users away from Fox’s American Idol, the darling of the entertainment world.
While we marvel at this report, Flurry notes that this impressive 19 million figure may underestimate daily mobile app usage as it only tracks 50,000 of the app store’s 250,000 applications. The actual number may be much higher and could potentially propel Apple into the top spot above American Idol. Most folks in the tech world have seen this trend, it is nice to finally see it in graph format.
Figures are fun and its enjoyable to discuss these numbers but this trend should be an eye-opener to Hollywood. Those major content providers that dimiss Apple’s 99-cent rentals would be wise to reconsider their position. In the near future, people may steer clear of the traditional TV and turn to their iOS device for entertainment and media consumption.
[Via Venture Beat]