Where the Eyeballs Are

Just 5% of Americans say they primarily or mostly watch TV shows online, according to a recent Harris Poll, but it should be noted that 18% say they sometimes use the Web as a vehicle for viewing. Not much of a surprise is this: 67% overall say they primarily watch shows on the tube, but the percentage who feel similarly across demos rises along with age. As 48% of 18-34s noted primary TV viewership, 69% of 35-44s did the same along with 74% of 45-54s and 84% of 55+. The age-group trending is inversed when online viewing is part of the equation. When looking at income level, it’s noteworthy that all the rhetoric about widespread US financial woes and the resulting effect on cable ops through cord cutting appears somewhat buttressed by Harris data. American adults who earn less than $35K/year watch a greater amount of broadcast TV than all other measured income levels, and they are also the least likely to watch more TV on cable than broadcast. The inference here, of course, is an increased prevalence of OTA homes among the cohort, as well as fewer cable subscriptions. Concerning gender, males clearly prefer cable over broadcast far more than females do. See below for the data.