In a former life, I worked for a digital distributor of films and television programmes and we faced a continuous struggle to convince other media industry folk that watching content online was going to take off. Now some statistics have been gathered by market analysts, the Conference Board and TNS, which confirm that online is the new place to get your fix of your favourite shows. According to the research, the number of individuals that watch shows online has doubled.

Interestingly, 80% of online viewers believe that this new entertainment portal has not driven them away from their telly box. But why are we defecting away to the computer? Most people interviewed cited convenience as their reason, while others did it to skip the commercials. I wonder if the time-lag issue of shows being broadcast in the States long before they reach these shores was mentioned, as this long wait can see many TV lovers (myself included) go online rather than wait for UK stations to catch-up. This problem has seen some shows hot-foot it over here quicker than previously (e.g. Ugly Betty, Prison Break) but with others like Heroes months behind, the appeal of online viewing will surely increase.

[via Contact Music]