Forty-five percent of European broadband users watch TV on the internet, according to research conducted by StrategyOne for Motorola. The habit was most prevalent in France (59 percent), then in Spain (48 percent) Italy and the UK (43 percent), then Germany (33 percent). StrategyOne surveyed 2,500 broadband subscribers. Findings include:
— a third of TV viewers view digital camera photos on their television set
— 45 percent expect to make TV video calls by 2012
— two-thirds of under-25s have watched TV shows online compared to 30 percent of over-55s.
— 57 percent would use an interactive TV service to call up information on sporting stars during a game, for example, if such a feature were available
— 5 percent want PVR functionality.
This research has been widely reported today but sounds a little fluffy. There’s little mention of whether “watching TV on the web” means full shows or just trailers; also, although statistically valid, 2,500 is a rather small sample for the entire continent and Motorola Europe’s connected home marketing director makes an appearance in the press release, which makes much of the company’s range of IPTV set-top boxes. (Via Guardian, HDTV).