From Co-Viewing To Co-Experiencing

Published in

InsidAR

6 min readAug 5, 2021

There’s no question that the COVID-19 pandemic has permanently changed our media consumption habits. As more people brought work and school into the home environment, the use of video conferencing applications changed our daily use of streaming media. Additionally, the transition to video-on-demand services accelerated as the popularity of smart TVs and internet-connected devices increased. The result was a massive increase in content choices and, more importantly, changes in how users consume content — shifting first from co-viewing to co-watching, and now, to co-experiencing.

Co-viewing

Co-viewing refers to content that is watched by more than one person in a single, physical location (co-located), such as when family members watch a movie together. It also encompasses viewing parties for sporting events, music concerts, and popular TV series like HBO’s Game of Thrones. The benefit to this type of collaborative watching is face-to-face social interaction; however, pandemic restrictions make proximity typically a limiting factor except for immediate family members.

The television is still the most co-viewed screen, with 93% of viewers using it to participate in some sort of shared viewing activity. In March 2020, Nielson reported an increase in connected TV viewing around the time mandatory lockdowns began. This number dipped slightly in subsequent months but remained elevated compared to previous time periods.

Millennials, in particular, indicate a preference for co-viewing via streaming services compared to adults. They have conversations during and after the video watching experience that enhance the appreciation for the content. Interactive platforms present unique marketing opportunities, with interactive TV ads targeted to specific behaviors or communities. It is speculated that traditional advertising could be replaced with less intrusive and more customized campaigns — e.g. personalized product placement and branding.

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Co-watching

When the shared viewing experience is remote and includes real-time text, voice, or video interaction between viewing participants, it is known as co-watching.

The technology used to support co-watching is referred to as over-the-top services, or OTT, through which users have à la carte access via streaming devices and cable, satellite, or telco providers to video on demand, as well as live programming. In fact, 29% of the estimated 29.5 hours of weekly co-viewing time among viewers watching with others is through OTT.

While co-viewing increased among family households during the pandemic, so has co-watching as it provides a form of connecting with people outside the home — especially remote friends and family. Along with real-time text chat, VOIP, and in some case personal video streaming, the benefits of co-watching can include live streaming content and pause/play capabilities.

Co-watching is still being explored by content providers and some have applied certain user limitations due to commercial licensing. For example, DVR content may not be available for playback in a group setting, and many commercial platforms that support co-watching require all participants to be subscribers. Additionally, technical limitations can arise if participants do not have the required applications on their devices or the technology to adequately support streaming efforts.

Despite these limitations, the consumption of media through co-watching services has grown significantly in the past year. In 2020 and 2021 a number of OTT services such as HouseParty, Instagram, Twitch, Hulu, Disney+, and others have launched co-watching features.

Some applications like Watch Party on Facebook utilize co-hosting and crowd-sourcing features to promote co-watching, allowing multiple people to host private or public events, with participants helping to choose videos instead of the hosts directing the experience. Within the first four months of release, more than 12 million Facebook Watch Parties were streamed.

Co-experiencing

Pandemic quarantines caused many people to feel frustrated and lonely from a lack of physical interaction with others. The need to share experiences with others but being unable to physically meet has increased the push for more immersive virtual connections. A new form of viewing, known as co-experiencing, is evolving, utilizing OTT while also emphasizing user engagement through a digital self.

Co-experiencing incorporates avatars, room invite or party systems, as well as the components of co-watching applications, such as text chat, VOIP, and the choice to share live streams or VOD. Innovative AR and VR technology translates movement in one’s physical space via an avatar or digital presence, which increases the sense of really being there. Haptics convey feeling through the simulated sense of touch — for example when a haptic high-five through virtual reality (VR) equipment emulates celebration with a friend for a favored team scoring a goal. Spatial audio creates a convincing sense of being spatially present with others when speaking or interacting with the shared virtual environment. Precise hand tracking allows your real world movements to be translated into virtual muscle memory.

Recent innovations to promote co-experiencing include enhancements to core networking and operating system functionality, such as the SharePlay and Group Activities APIs in Apple’s iOS 15. VR software further encourages the shift from co-watching to co-experiencing. Applications such as Spatial, Glue, and Engage use avatars, 3D technology, and augmented VR software, respectively, to enhance user experience through virtual gatherings with a true-to-life feel.

Mobile and head-worn device technologies that incorporate XR, a blend of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality applications, also are essential to expanding co-experiencing opportunities for users. An example of this is the recently released Passthrough API on the Oculus Quest platform which allows a view of the real world (enabled by on device cameras) to be incorporated into the virtual experience. We can be watching a professional golf tournament video stream while we are playing a round ourselves in VR and be able to reach a refreshment in the real world all at the same time.

Co-experiencing represents the future of TV, sports, and live or recorded entertainment, making it likely to be the next major evolution in content and entertainment platforms. Because of this rapid growth, the market must capitalize on the XR trend by offering innovative solutions to enhance customer experience and promote user engagement. Content also must be developed with co-experiencing in mind. It’s not about replacing the way we consume content through real world shared experiences but rather embracing opportunities for physically distant people to have highly immersive innovative content experiences together.

We learn about and experience the world through relationships with others, a concept referred to as shared understanding. Co-experiencing accelerates this phenomenon, allowing us to connect virtually through OTT and streaming services. With immersive solutions, content creators and providers can further differentiate their offerings to consumers by utilizing the latest in XR technology and OTT services.