5% of broadband users watch all TV online

5% of US broadband subscribers exclusively use online streaming services such as Netflix for their TV viewing, according to a new survey carried out by RVA and commissioned by the Fibre to the Home (FTTH) Council.

The research found that 40% of broadband customers get at least some of their TV from online sources, with the under 35 demographic particularly notable.

70% of broadband users under 35 said that they get some of their TV online, while 13% of that group admitted to streaming all TV content online – no longer accessing cable or broadcast television.

Half of those 13% said that they had never purchased a pay-TV subscription.

The FTTH Council claims that the bypassing of traditional cable and satellite providers will further accelerate demands for more bandwidth and faster connectivity in North American households – fuelled primarily by the wider availability of connected TVs.

“With younger subscribers driving this practice, the trend toward video over the Internet will accelerate household bandwidth requirements, particularly as broadband subscribers demand better video quality and purchase more devices that connect to their wi-fi routers,” said FTTH Council president Heather Burnett Gold.

“When you add up the accelerating demand for sharper video, uninterrupted streaming and faster downloads, it is clear that North America will increasingly need the unparalleled bandwidth and super-fast connectivity that fiber to the home networks deliver,” Gold concluded.