“Online content is mostly viewed on computers or mobile devices such as tablets and smart phones, but TVs are increasingly becoming devices of choice for consumers, particularly since an increasing numbers of sets have either built-in connectivity or can be connected to the internet via a peripheral device such as a connected Blu-ray player or set top box, among others,” noted Riddhi Patel, NPD DisplaySearch Research Director of Consumer Insights, “In fact, 25% of consumers surveyed said they view online content on their TV several times a week.”
A new study from NPD DisplaySearch says that 18 percent of consumers surveyed in 14 regions (see graphic below) are accessing online content daily on their TV sets. It shouldn’t come as a surprise since the sales of connected televisions that are enabled to access the Internet via WiFi or ethernet have been on an upswing.
What are people watching on their connected TVs? Most of the stuff they used to watch via DVDs, cable television and broadcast television. The Connected TV Study shows that movies are top picks as Internet content on TVs as well as older broadcast shows.
Despite this, daily usage of TVs to view online content remains under 30% in most countries. In fact, online content on TV is viewed most aggressively in China—possibly due to consumer interest in viewing foreign programs that may not be available via traditional TV medium.
