SILVER SPRING, MD – Although there are no clear signs that the Web is on its way to replacing traditional TV, a substantial number of respondents in a recent survey conducted in the U.S. said that they are turning to the Web to watch video.
Conducted in March by market research provider Pike and Fischer, the report ‘Web Video Usage: A Consumer Survey’ found that approximately 32% of respondents to the survey said they regularly watch video from Web sites such as Hulu, YouTube and iTunes.
The survey also found that despite the slowing economy, nearly 70% of consumers said they plan to keep their current cable or satellite TV service this year. Only two of the 600 respondents said they plan to drop their multichannel video service to cut household expenses.
However, nearly 15% of respondents said they intend to downgrade to a lower-priced video subscription this year, through such means as giving up premium channels. Only 8% said they plan to upgrade their service to receive expanded numbers of channels or advanced services such as high-definition TV.
"The results indicate that consumers appear to be willing to continue paying for cable or satellite TV, despite the fact that they can get a vast amount of shows for free or very low cost on services like Hulu and Veoh," said Scott Sleek, director of broadband advisory services for Pike and Fischer, in the press release. "But they don’t appear to be willing to spend any extra money for premium channels or on-demand movies. And they’re increasingly willing to go to the Internet to watch their favorite shows."
