TV shows and movies were watched on TVs via the Internet in more than 42 million homes in the U.S. and Europe in the past month, according to a survey of 4,800 respondents carried out by Strategy Analytics.
Watching TV programs and movies on ‘smart’ TVs via the Internet was twice as popular in U.S. homes, where 20% of respondents reported doing so, as compared to European homes, where 10% did so, according to the research firm’s “Multiscreen Connected TV: Assessing Device Usage and Ownership.”
The popularity and “relative strength” of OTT services, such as Netflix and Hulu, in the U.S. accounts for difference in the popularity of connected TV viewing, Strategy Analytics’ researchers posit.
In the U.S., the most popular way of connecting their smart TVs to the Internet was via game consoles, whereas in European homes, viewers preferred to connect a PC to the TV using an HDMI cable. Internet streaming and Internet-connected Blu-ray disc players were also significant in both territories.
The PC remains “the most important” consumer electronic device in both U.S. and European homes. Mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, were less popular, though markets for both continue to grow rapidly, the report authors noted.
“These findings have important implications for content providers, device manufacturers and network operators,” says David Mercer, principal analyst and the report’s author, stated in a press release.
“They demonstrate that television viewers are prepared to go to significant lengths to watch their preferred television shows or movies on the big screen. In spite of the technical challenges, many people want to be freed from the constraints of traditional, managed television services if their choice of content is not available when they want, where they want, and at a price they are willing to pay.”
