Use of Internet to Watch Full TV Episodes Has Tripled Since 2006 Among 13-to-54 Online Audience

MENLO PARK, Calif., March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report from Knowledge Networks (KN) provides fresh evidence 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% to 22% of those ages 13 to 54 with Internet access, and from 12% to 30% of 18-to-34 online users.

Based on a nationwide survey on KN's KnowledgePanel®, How People Use® TV's Web Connections also shows that, among Internet users:

• 7% in the 13-to-54 age group, and 11% of those 18 to 34, have used a TV set to watch streamed or downloaded video – known as "over the top" viewing
• 6% of those 13 to 54, and 9% of 18-to-34's, told KN they have reduced or cancelled their TV service in the past year due to their online viewing of network TV programming, or expect to do so in the next year

"The small but notable level of people watching TV programs via the Internet on regular TV sets suggests that the convergence of the two screens for mainstream audiences may finally be on the horizon," said David Tice, Vice President and Group Account Director at Knowledge Networks.  "Growing numbers of 'connected TVs' – those that access the Internet – are making this option increasingly user-friendly. The fact that over one-third of TV homes now have a bundled TV/Internet service package is no doubt accelerating this blurring of boundaries."

How People Use® TV's Web Connections has been produced as part of The Home Technology Monitor™, a service that tracks both ownership of over 100 media technology devices and services and the ways that people are using those devices in everyday life.  

The Home Technology Monitor leverages KnowledgePanel®, the only online consumer panel based on a representative sample of the full U.S. population.  Research for the new report was conducted during November 2009 among 1,901 Internet users (ages 13 to 54) on KnowledgePanel®.

SOURCE Knowledge Networks