Monday, June 30, 2008

TVs Still Used for Television Viewing…Mostly

In and of itself, that is not interesting. What makes my viewing different than yours -- at least according to The Nielson Company -- is that I watch my shows curled up in my bed on my laptop using Hulu.com, a website that streams cable and network programs.

Despite the increasing amount of television programming online (which I get for free), 94 percent of American adults prefer to pay for cable and watch it through the television.

That's not entirely surprising since the question uses the term "preferred" in it; however, people are beginning to learn that they neither have to sit in front of their television as a set time nor pay for Tivo.

• 35 percent of those surveyed have watched at least one television show on their computer;
• 87 percent used network websites to watch the program
• 82 percent reported they went online because they'd missed the show's original air date

The numbers aren't great yet in terms of online viewership, but it's likely that the perception of the shift to Internet-viewing is having affecting the industry. Advertising spending as a whole has leveled off, but the niche-programming and online offerings have grown.

If advertisers are targeting these areas, it's likely viewers will soon find their favorite programs targeted to their computers -- and not their sets.

Posted By Brad King at 03:15 PM
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