Nearly a quarter (24%) of all U.S. households have a television connected to the Internet, according to a new report from the Leichtman Research Group (LRG).
The report found consumers connect to the Internet via variety of devices including a video game console, a Blu-Ray player, or a compatible TV. While Internet connectivity has become a common built-in feature in many devices, consumers are just beginning to use this feature to watch video from the Internet.
Overall, just 1 percent of adults watch video from the Internet via one of these devices daily, and 5 percent weekly. Usage leans heavily towards young men, with 16 percent of men ages 18-34 watching video from the Internet via one of these connected devices weekly, compared to 3 percent weekly use among all others.
"Despite speculation that consumers are ‘cutting the cord’ to cable, satellite or Telco video services and choosing to watch video exclusively online or through other alternatives, there remains little evidence of this being a trend," said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group, Inc.
"Emerging video services do not necessarily create either/or scenarios in decisions to subscribe to a video service or not. Rather, they create opportunities and trade-offs in how, when, what, and where to consume the increasing video entertainment options."
Among households with a TV connected to the Internet, 20 percent do so via a game console, 8 percent have an Internet connected TV set, and 6 percent have a Blu-Ray player with an Internet connection.
Just 5 percent of those online at home strongly agree that they would be willing to pay $9.95 per month to watch TV shows from a service like Hulu, while 81 percent strongly disagree.
Other findings include:
*55% of Netflix subscribers report that they used the "Watch Instantly" feature in the past month — overall, 1% of all adults use Netflix’s "Watch Instantly" daily, and 4% weekly
*Overall, 3% of adults watch a full length TV show online daily, and 11% weekly
*Among all individuals online at home, 4% strongly agree that they would consider disconnecting their TV service to just watch video online — compared to 3% last year, and 4% two years ago