Study: One-third of U.S. Households Watch TV Video Via Internet

4% of holdholds purchased video media receiver during 2011 holiday season

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/17/2012 10:04:43 AM

Almost one third of U.S. broadband Households use the Internet to watch video on their TV sets, according to research firm Park Associates.

That number is growing, with 4% of U.S. households buying a video media receiver -- including Apple TV and Roku -- over the 2011 holiday season, showing "a strong consumer appetite for over-the-top video, said the research firm.

According to Kurt Scherf, VP and principal analyst, for Parks Associates, buyers are not just young adopters. "Nearly 20% of these holiday-season buyers are over 45 years of age, so these devices have achieved relatively broad appeal among multiple consumer segments," he said in comments on the study.

"While this trend does not yet frequently equate to canceling pay-TV services," he said, "it can mean shaving some premium channels for a set of households," Scherf said. "That is a risk that pay-TV providers must address and a trend that both manufacturers and content providers are following with eagle eyes and plans for defensive actions."