According to the international research company Continental Research, 2.6 million people have either downloaded a TV programme or watched it live on the internet, and 900,000 have watched TV via their mobile phone. The research company concludes downloading TV programmes via the internet is becoming “habitual”.
James Myring, associate director at Continental Research, said: “Given the popularity of downloading first music and now films via the internet, there is every reason to predict that downloading TV will grow rapidly in importance. Watching live TV over the internet remains more occasional, with 19 per cent doing so at least once a week.”
Of those who download TV programmes, a significantly large number – 29 per cent – do so at least once a week.
The types of programmes that are downloaded most are popular American TV shows such as Lost (the most watched downloaded programme), CSI, Desperate Housewives and The Simpsons, all dominating the list ahead of leading British shows such as Life on Mars and Little Britain.
The prediction of rapid growth is given credence by the proportions of internet TV viewers likely to increase their viewing to specific services in the next 12 months. 40 per cent say that watching downloaded programmes will increase, and 25 percent say watching TV live via the internet will increase. As the amount of content grows in quantity and quality it will help further the growth of internet TV.
Downloading TV programmes via a mobile phone, however, is handicapped by the same constraints that limit mobile internet, namely a small screen size and incomplete content compared to the a€˜real thing’ (i.e. standard TV/ internet). “Until these limitations are overcome we don’t expect usage of mobile TV to breakthrough into the mass market. There may be significant experimentation, but it is habitual use that will make it commercially viable. It is also worth recalling that miniature televisions never became popular.”
Source: Advanced-Television.com
