60% of Dutch viewers will consider cutting the cord if the three main public NPO channels are available OTT, according to research from Telecompaper.
57% of people will consider such as move if the RTL channels are available OTT, and slightly less if SBS offers its channels over the top.
The research is good news for NLZiet, the Dutch on-demand platform with programmes from all three major broadcasting groups (NPO, RTL and SBS). Last November, the platform said it will introduce live OTT streams of the main channels.
Dutch viewers can also access live OTT streaming on the KPN Play platform and Knippr from T-Mobile.
Other research by Telecompaper shows that two-thirds (66%) of Dutch households now have TVs with internet access. This increases the likelihood of cord=cutting.
The figure rises to 73% for homes with children, while 62% of households without kids have a connected TV. The penetration of smart TVs has risen substantially in recent years, from just 30%, the annual surveys by Telecompaper’s Consumer Panel found. Growth slowed somewhat in the past year, to 5% from 12% in 2015.
Nevertheless, not all are using their smart TV to watch internet content. In Q4 2016, 36% of households said they watched internet content on the TV, up from 30% a year earlier. Around 14% connect a laptop to the TV to watch online content, up slightly from 12% in Q4 2015.
Apple TV and Google Chromecast were stable, at 4% and 7% respectively. Households with children more often use a games console for internet access on the TV, at 8% of those with a Playstation, 5% with an Xbox and 9% with a Wii.
The figures from Telecompaper show higher degrees of connected TV than a similar research from ratings agency SKO in its Media Standard Survey 2016 (MSS), according to which 37% has a connected (smart) TV, while 12% connects using a separate device, bringing the total to 49% of internet connected TVs.