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DAILY NEWS
Oct 5, 2006 7:01 AM
Content on the Move to Broadband & Mobile Platforms
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With broadband penetration continuing to increase (from 54% of Internet homes in 2005 to 60% in 2006), the number of those who download video is beginning to amass.
Over three-fifths (62%) of respondents (i.e., heads of household in Internet homes) download and/or watch video online at least once a month - with broadband homes more likely than dial-up homes to perform this online activity (71% versus 48%).
Among respondents who do not watch/download video content online, the top reason mentioned in broadband homes is 'not thinking of the computer as a way to watch video', closely followed by 'nothing in particular prevents me from watching more video content on the computer'.
Among dial-up users who do not watch/download online videos, by far the main reason is that their Internet service is too slow.
These and what follows are among the key findings from Horowitz Associates, Inc.'s Broadband Content and Services 2006: The Online Entertainment, Voice, Information and Networking Survey of Internet homes (approximately 64% of homes have Internet service), recently released to clients.
Respondents most often watch news video segments (35% at least once a month), movie previews/ trailers (27%), non-professional videos created by other people (23%), music videos (20%), previews/ video segments of TV shows (19%), and video segments of sports events (17%) or sports news (16%).
In addition to the computer, video content is beginning to be viewed on other platforms. Eight percent (8%) of respondents currently watch video content on a handheld device at least once a month; and the potential market for these devices going forward is quite considerable. More than one-fifth (22%) of respondents either presently have video capability on their iPod/MP3 player or are interested in getting video capability on this device. Similarly, 19% of respondents have or are interested in getting a service that provides Internet video content to their cell phone (such as VCast, Sprint PCS Vision, T-Mobile Web, or MEdiaNet).
"There is clearly a lot of upside potential for broadband and multi-platform video," said Howard Horowitz, president of Horowitz Associates, Inc., referring to the study results. "With the installed and distributed base of broadband and video-enabled mobile platforms increasing rapidly, growth in consumption or viewing would be greatly facilitated if there were seamless or integrated access to content across platforms-from cable to broadband to mobile."
About the Study
Data for the Broadband Content and Services study come from an online survey conducted with a national sample of 1,002 consumers at least 18 years of age who have dial-up and/or Broadband Internet access in their homes. The study, which is currently available for purchase, covers usage of, interest in, and satisfaction with a wide range of content and services either currently available or planned for the near future.
Horowitz Associates, Inc. is a market research and consulting company based in Larchmont, New York.
The company conducts custom research and consulting for clients in broadband and new media, including cable television, telecommunications and the Internet. In addition, Horowitz Associates publishes a variety of annual industry studies including State of Broadband Urban Markets, Bundled Services, State of Digital and Interactive Television, FOCUS: Latino, FOCUS: African America and State of Cable and Broadband.
