PORTLAND, ORE. – U.S. viewership of free-on-demand TV content increased by 40% in 2012, according to a new report from Rentrak, a digital media measurement and research company.
In its Rentrak State of VOD Report 2012, released today, the company said that the total number of free-on-demand TV programs watched also increased by 29% from the previous year. When considering free-on-demand programs that were aired over just broadcast networks, numbers grew more significantly, including a 60% increase in total time spent viewing, and a 47% jump in the total number of programs watched since the previous year.
The report, which includes four years of VOD analysis from Rentrak’s OnDemand Essentials service, also says that HD VOD viewing grew by more than 60% in 2012. A total of 43 million televisions accessed VOD content each month, representing a 5% increase from the previous year and a 13% increase from 2010.
“There is no doubt that this kind of growth is reshaping budgets of cable operators, content providers and advertisers," said Rentrak corporate president and president of the AMI Division Cathy Hetzel, in a release. “Our reporting gives perspective on how many ad dollars could be left behind if on-demand content is not considered by the planners of TV.”
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