Study considers broadband TV watching
Study considers broadband TV watching
By Noel Mellor (Fri, 7th August 2009)
A new study has looked at how consumers' television viewing habits are changing and this means more reliance on a broadband connection and access to subscribed, bundled services.
Published this week, the Ofcom Communications Market Report into the £52 billion broadcasting and telecommunications market considered how web access was becoming more widespread and how this was changing the shape of entertainment.
It revealed 15 per cent of people with a reliable connection now catch-up on their favourite shows using the BBC iPlayer, a system that a statement accompanying the figures said had "significantly" affected the sector.
This means that around 5.2 million people are now watching episodes of programmes like Top Gear, Mock The Week, Live At The Apollo, Holby City, Eastenders and New Tricks - double the amount that were using it last year.
According to the study, this growth is in line with the overall take up of broadband internet services in the UK, which reached 68 per cent by the end of the first three months of 2009 - an increase of 17 per cent on 2008.
Peter Phillips, Ofcom's partner, strategy and market developments, said: "Despite the recession, people are spending more time watching TV, using their mobile phone or accessing the internet."
Referring to another area of the study that showed how people were unlikely to give up their web connection in the face of the recession, he added: "They would rather do without meals out or holidays than give up their phone, broadband or pay TV package."
Some of the other popular shows now featured on the BBC iPlayer are Binge Drinking: My Big Decision, Dragons Den and Who Do You Think You Are.
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