By Stewart Tongue

YNOT EUROPE – European Smart TV company Forno recently commissioned surveys of adult content consumers in Germany, France and the UK. Behind the surveys was a desire to develop a better understanding of adults’ viewing habits, and perhaps lay to rest some popular myths.

The surveys accomplished both goals.

“We wanted to see past commonly held beliefs about who watches porn and get a true understanding of people’s viewing preferences,” said Forno Marketing Director Matthew Rahman. “Our research showed not only a much wider acceptance of porn than previously thought, but also that people are more likely to watch porn if it’s available in a secure environment, such as on their TV at home.

“The peak age period for viewing porn appears to be older than many people assume,” he added. “The peak age for viewers who declared viewing porn was of ‘extreme and high importance’ is 26 to 35 years old, while 18- to 25-year-olds thought it was least important. That’s really interesting, as it suggests a generational shift in the significance of pornography.”

Additional interesting data came from comparing the results by country. For example, nearly 75 percent of British viewers watch porn alone, while more than 60 percent of Germans said they prefer to watch with someone else: 22 percent said they watch porn with friends and another 40 percent said they prefer to watch with their partners. Germans also are more likely to watch porn at someone else’s house, while Brits are most likely to access adult content via mobile devices like tablets and smart-phones.

Perhaps the most interesting information to be gleaned from the survey is the survey’s very existence. That large Smart TV companies are willing to investigate such a controversial topic may indicate players are positioning themselves as serious portals for porn in the years to come.