22 August 2008
The idea of using broadband internet to catch up on missed TV programmes is "here to stay", according to the Senior Broadband Media Analyst at Screen Digest. Dan Cryan said that while online viewing is unlikely to eclipse regular television, it does not appear to be a short-term "fad". "What it's providing is a genuine boon in functionality and a genuine boon for people who want to watch shows that they couldn't see otherwise," he explained. He said it is possible that online viewing may alter in form in the future, "morphing" into a television service that can be plugged into a set-top box, for example. Research carried out by Ofcom reveals that 26% of consumers aged between 15 and 24 use the internet to watch television programmes. However, a report by the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board published by Thinkbox shows that both traditional TV and online viewing are growing, suggesting the two are able to co-exist and actually promote one another.