Broadband Sees Traditional TV Viewing Decrease

Broadband users are watching around 33% less conventional television, according to communications watchdog Ofcom’s International Communications Market Report.

Among 18-24-year-old broadband users, the UK is second only to China in its online video usage, with 77% of UK users in this age range watching music videos online, and 60% watching TV programmes via their broadband connection.

The study also confirmed that the adoption of VoIP and IPTV services has been slower than other countries surveyed, with 0.4% of UK consumers taking each of these facilities.

At MediaTel Group’s ‘Future Of TV’ seminar in September, panellists suggested that the huge increase in consumers going online to video rich websites was one of the most significant recent trends in television, and such sites could pose a threat to UK broadcasters (see Rise In Broadband Could Threaten TV Channels In UK).

At this summer’s MGEITF, it emerged that the increasing number of digital channels, combined with the emerging possibilities offered by on-demand viewing, will give viewers a more democratised broadcast experience than ever before, although there will still be a place for scheduled broadcasting as the market evolves (see MGEITF 2006: On-Demand And Mobile Platforms Signal The Future For TV).

Ofcom: 020 7981 3040 www.ofcom.org.uk