Are People Really Watching Online TV?

According to research firm Interpret, online TV has exploded, with two of every three viewers regularly watching online videos. However, its newest report concludes that, despite the “monumental growth” of online-TV viewership, the effects on cord-cutting so far have been minimal.
 
During the last two years, Interpret says the penetration of consumers who watch at least one hour of online video per week has grown to 61 percent of those in the 12-to-65 age range (a 50-percent increase from 2009). During the same period, households watching at least one hour of television have declined 11 percent for network TV and 13 percent for cable networks. “Despite increasing popularity of online TV and declining audience share for traditional television, 77 percent of television streamers still subscribe to pay TV services,” the report notes.
 
“The findings from our analysis suggest that consumers aren’t migrating away from television as much as they are looking for a broader mix of options to consume television content,“ explains Stephanie Sutton, an Interpret analyst and author of the report. “Convenience factors – especially catching up on missed episodes and being able to watch whenever, wherever – are cited as the most important reasons to choose online options.”