Nielsen: Nearly Half of Americans Watch Video Online

NEW YORK: According to Nielsen’s Q2 Cross-Platform Report, nearly half of Americans now watch video online, while 97 percent choose traditional TV, which saw a viewing increase of 2 hours and 43 minutes per month.

While 48 percent of Americans are watching online, only 10 percent are opting for mobile. Timeshifted TV viewing has gained 31 percent over the past two years, with near-constant growth. Americans spend more than quadruple the time per week watching timeshifted content on a TV—via DVR, VOD or DVD playback—as they do online.

The report also shows that Americans are putting more emphasis on broadband. Nearly three-fourths (72 percent) of U.S. TV homes pay for both a cable-plus TV subscription and broadband Internet. Households with both services saw year-on-year growth of nearly 7 percent.