Parks Releases New Study on Online Viewership

DALLAS: More than 25 million U.S. broadband homes are watching full-length TV shows online, Parks Associates reports, double the number recorded last year.

In addition, the Parks Associates study, Online Video and Broadband Provider Strategies, reveals that more than 20 million homes watch movies online. "Connected CE devices are affecting the competitive ecosystem of the television industry, and while the current number of cord cutters isn’t substantial, service providers are concerned about these developments," said Jayant Dasari, research analyst at Parks Associates. "Pay-TV providers are working to head off a possible shift that might devalue their services by offering TV Everywhere. These services supplement their traditional offerings, which might not dissuade anyone determined to cut the cord, but providers could use them as models for future business strategies."

The report goes on to note that consumers have yet to establish strong preferences on whether they get video and other value-added services from broadband service providers or over-the-top providers such as Hulu.