Binge watching has become a new norm and the negative connotation of a "couch potato" is fading along with the term itself. The term came from Urban Dictionary and used to refer to watching a TV series on DVD in succession. Now the term has changed to include watching online on sites such as Netflix or Hulu for days on end.

Earlier this year,Theresa Pepe, VP of Ad Sales Research at Nickelodeon, told us, "binge and TSV will continue having an impact on networks.  The overall time it takes to gauge a show or network’s performance no longer fits into a 3 or 7 day window."

We're keeping an eye on how binge viewing and marathon TV watching is changing the game for media companies, advertisers and show creators.

The trends and changes in media consumption habits binge viewing, companion devices, social TV, cord cutting, the new watercooler - are challenges you face every day. Not only do you need to understand how media is being consumed, but also how to better engage with consumers on all screens wherever they are watching.

Here are a few things about binge watching you may not realize:

1. 51% of streamers prefer to watch with at least one other person

2. People Average 2-3 hours per session

3. 91% of people admit binge watching is a common behavior

4. One third of people said "binge-watching" is a negative term. This is down from 53% in 2013

5. Americans spend 2.8 hours of free time watching TV which is significantly more than 43 minutes of socializing which is the next closest activity

6. About 670,000 Netflix watchers watched the entire season of "House of Cards" the weekend it came out, about 2% of total Netflix subscribers

7. 79% of viewers say binge watching actually makes the show better

8. 75% of respondents in a survey watched an entire series in 30 days

9. It would take you 6 days and 2 hours to binge watch the entire "24" series.

10. For every two hours after the first hour of watching TV in a day, you are 44% more likely to die from heart disease or stroke, according to a study

About the Author:

Ryan Polachi is a contributing writer concentrating his focus on Marketing, Finance and Innovation. He can be reached at rpolachi@iirusa.com.