Free Ad-Supported TV Downloaded More Than Paid Content in US

Audiences in the US are more likely to download television programmes that contain advertising than pay for versions of the same shows without it, according to network executives.

A report in the FT said the findings are among the first in examining viewing habits since programmes were made available to consumers over a variety of digital platforms in the US last year.

“People would rather sit through the ads than pay 99 cents or $1.99 [for episodes that do not contain advertising],” CBS chief executive Les Moonves said at a conference hosted by PwC.

As well as being willing to watch downloaded programmes that contained advertising, 87% of consumers were able to recall the messages they had seen, according to the ABC network. This is encouraging for broadcast networks that have feared digital formats allow viewers to skip commercials.

Tim Hanlon, a senior vice president at Ventures, Denuo, a unit of the Publicis advertising group, suggested the advertising-supported television model was prevailing because additional charges for video on-demand, high speed internet and other media services were starting to tax consumers.

Financial Times: 0207 873 3000 www.ft.com