With more and more households owning a laptop or PC and almost all major broadcasters now with internet-television, could we start to witness a decline in traditional TV watching?
TV has been a constant source of entertainment for people across all age groups and demographics ever since its popularity soared in the 1950s; with most UK households owning at least one television set, watching TV on most days. However, with the advent of the internet and all the technology and access that it has to offer, this hegemony no longer exists.
Major broadcasters created online ‘catch-up' services throughout the mid and later noughties; notably Channel 4's 4oD (4 on Demand) in November 2006, and BBC iPlayer in June 2008, thus enabling consumers to watch either a backlog of series' or, as with the BBC, programmes up to 7 days after airing. This is clearly attractive as it allows audiences far greater flexibility with regards to when they watch their chosen programmes.
At the start of 2009, 23% of the adult population in the UK with internet access watched television online, this increased to 35% just two years later. At this rate, everyone with the internet at home will be watching online TV by early 2020.
Whilst the largest demographic to watch TV online are 16 to 24 year olds , the biggest rise over the documented two-year period was amongst 55 to 64 year olds, showing that the appeal of watching TV online spans all ages. Given, how the younger generation use the internet on a regular basis, it seems more likely that it will be this generation that will drive any sort of seismic change in viewing patterns.
At present, despite an increase in those watching TV online, the number of households owning at least one television set has consistently risen every year since televisions entered domestic life. However, this may change when the next generation begin moving out of their childhood homes, and continuing their preference for internet over TV (of 12-15 year olds surveyed in a recent Ofcom survey, asking what they would miss most if taken away, 25% said the internet, as opposed to 18% who chose TV), and electing to avoid the TV Licence Fee.
UK audiences currently face potential upheaval as all television sets have to be digital by spring 2012. Whether this will affect, how people watch TV remains to be seen.