Faster broadband won't make us watch more TV online, viewers tell survey
Hopes for online TV boom fuelled by superfast broadband dampened by survey for Edinburgh TV Festival
Faster internet would make no difference to most people's online viewing habits, a survey has found.
The result calls into question hopes of an online TV boom fuelled by superfast broadband.
The survey, commissioned from Deloitte and YouGov by the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, found that 53% of people would not watch more online TV or video clips even with a faster, more reliable broadband connection.
Some 29% of the 2,123 viewers surveyed felt that there was "little importance" in being able to watch TV using an online service.
Younger respondents, aged 18 to 24, were more likely to already watch TV online, but 43% still said that a faster broadband connection would not increase their internet viewing habits.
The most viewed genres of online video were news and comedy, which 34% said they watched. Music ranked second, watched by 30%, with sport and documentaries/factual programming ranked third equal with 23% each.
Reality TV programmes and factual entertainment shows ranked bottom, with just 7% of respondents admitting watching such content online.
"Stimulating investment in a next-generation broadband infrastructure for Britain has been at the heart of the Digital Britain debate," said James Bates, media and telecoms partner at Deloitte. "However, making high speed broadband access widely available to consumers is no guarantee that it will be taken up."
The good news for traditional broadcasters is that their online video services are now gaining widespread recognition with the public, according to the survey results.
Of those surveyed, 83% were aware of the TV catchup services offered by the main players, such as the BBC's iPlayer, ITV.com and Channel 4's 4oD.
"In an ironic twist to earlier expectations, broadcasters and independent producers may, in the medium term, be those that benefit most from online television," said Bates. "Broadcasters may increasingly use online television to support their core, traditional objective of maximising broadcast audience size and quality."
The full Deloitte/YouGov report, Television's Got Talent, will be published later this month. The 2009 MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival takes place between Friday 28 and Sunday 30 August.
Mark Sweney
Monday 10 August 2009 07.05 BST
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2009
Hopes for online TV boom fuelled by superfast broadband dampened by survey for Edinburgh TV Festival
Faster internet would make no difference to most people's online viewing habits, a survey has found.
The result calls into question hopes of an online TV boom fuelled by superfast broadband.
The survey, commissioned from Deloitte and YouGov by the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, found that 53% of people would not watch more online TV or video clips even with a faster, more reliable broadband connection.
Some 29% of the 2,123 viewers surveyed felt that there was "little importance" in being able to watch TV using an online service.
Younger respondents, aged 18 to 24, were more likely to already watch TV online, but 43% still said that a faster broadband connection would not increase their internet viewing habits.
The most viewed genres of online video were news and comedy, which 34% said they watched. Music ranked second, watched by 30%, with sport and documentaries/factual programming ranked third equal with 23% each.
Reality TV programmes and factual entertainment shows ranked bottom, with just 7% of respondents admitting watching such content online.
"Stimulating investment in a next-generation broadband infrastructure for Britain has been at the heart of the Digital Britain debate," said James Bates, media and telecoms partner at Deloitte. "However, making high speed broadband access widely available to consumers is no guarantee that it will be taken up."
The good news for traditional broadcasters is that their online video services are now gaining widespread recognition with the public, according to the survey results.
Of those surveyed, 83% were aware of the TV catchup services offered by the main players, such as the BBC's iPlayer, ITV.com and Channel 4's 4oD.
"In an ironic twist to earlier expectations, broadcasters and independent producers may, in the medium term, be those that benefit most from online television," said Bates. "Broadcasters may increasingly use online television to support their core, traditional objective of maximising broadcast audience size and quality."
The full Deloitte/YouGov report, Television's Got Talent, will be published later this month. The 2009 MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival takes place between Friday 28 and Sunday 30 August.
Mark Sweney
Monday 10 August 2009 07.05 BST
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2009
