Faster broadband will not be the catalyst for increased online TV viewing
The prospect of faster broadband connections will not be the catalyst for increased TV viewing online, according to the results of a new survey by Deloitte/YouGov.
The survey found that 53% would not watch more online video clips or TV programmes even with a faster internet connection and 29% felt there was little importance in being able to watch television online.
Some 54% of the 2,123 viewers polled surf the internet while watching television with 74% of 18 – 24-year-olds multi-tasking compared with 40% of 55+.
Younger audiences are more likely to watch TV online but a surprisingly high percentage (43%) of 18-24-year-olds said they would not watch more TV online with faster broadband speeds.
A large proportion (71%) of those who sometimes watch television via the internet do so to catch up on programmes they’ve previously missed on television.
Viewers’ awareness (83%) of broadcasters’ on-demand sites (such as iPlayer, itv.com, 4OD) is now greater than that for either YouTube (76%) or iTunes (64%).
James Bates, media & telecoms partner at Deloitte, said: “Stimulating investment in a next generation broadband infrastructure for Britain has been at the heart of the Digital Britain debate.
“However, as this survey shows, making high-speed broadband access widely available to consumers is no guarantee that it will be taken up.
“Demand and willingness to pay for services varies significantly, and there is little evidence that the mass market is prepared to pay substantially more for it.”
Recent US research from ChangeWave showed that baby boomers are spending more free time online (12.9 hours per week on average) than they are watching traditional TV (11.8 hours per week on average).
Elsewhere, Magna forecast that the US market for online video will grow by 32% this year, rising from $531 million in 2008 to $699 million in 2009.