Close to 16% of US households who use the internet watch television broadcasts online, according to a report from The Conference Board and TNS reported. The number of consumers viewing entire episodes or shows on the internet has doubled from a year ago.
“Although online television viewing is still not a widespread phenomenon, the proportion of users has increased since 2006 and is likely to increase over time, given consumers’ love for entertainment,” says Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center in a prepared statement.
Online viewers cite personal convenience and avoiding commercials as their top two reasons for watching TV broadcasts on the internet. Four out of every five online viewers say that watching these programs online has not changed their television viewing habits, but a small percentage claim that their traditional television viewing has decreased.
The top methods for viewing broadcasts online are streaming and free downloading. Consumers also enrol in pay-per-download and subscription services, though this is much less prevalent. About two-thirds of viewers stream online content, and more than 40% download content for free.
