One in Four U.S. Internet Users Watch TV Shows Online
By Anna Johnson on March 29th, 2010Almost one in four (22 percent) U.S. Internet users aged 13 to 54 years now watch complete TV episodes via streaming or downloaded video from the Internet.
Research by Knowledge Networks indicates that TV and the Internet are becoming increasingly interchangeable when it comes to viewing network programs.
Among Internet users in the 13-to-54 and 18-to-34 age groups, viewing of complete TV show episodes via streaming or downloaded video has essentially tripled in the past three years – growing from 8 percent to 22 percent among those aged 13 to 54 years, and from 12 percent to 30 percent among those aged 18 to 34 years.
Knowledge Networks’ findings, based on surveying 1,901 Internet users in November 2009, is certainly borne out in our household.
Why watch TV according to a television station’s timetable when we can stream or download the same programs and watch them at a time that suits us?
I expect the trend to continue. Ultimately, most people will probably only watch network-scheduled TV programs that are live to air. Then again, the networks will increasingly offer live programming online as well. Eventually, there may no longer be a programming schedule as we know it today.
So when someone asks “What time is the six o’clock news?” you can literally respond with “any time you want.”
