Online Television Becoming More Popular Among Younger Viewers

Television viewership is a rapidly changing market, with an increasing pull from younger viewers towards standard television programming being provided via the internet. The pull is dividing the market, both by venue, and by the type of programming that is being shown in either location.

Global Information Inc is a research company that provides market analysis of consumer trends to many different companies. In order to anticipate and adapt to changing demands, production companies need updates on growing or diminishing market trends. They recently released a report that is of particular interest to the markets related to television programmers, and particularly those who provide their programming via the internet.

The study shows a strong increase in online consumption of television programming among younger viewers, and an overall decrease in interest in the standard established venues. This may be due in part to the differentiation between online and standard programming, which has, for a long time, recognized the disparity in the age demographics of internet users. Since they tend to be viewers from younger generations, programming is likewise targeted to make their chosen venue optimally appealing. Statistics from viewers between the ares of twelve and thirty-four are on a steep decline, in sharp contrast to individuals over thirty-five, who are still dedicated television viewers. In many cases, both sets of demographics are still watching the same programming, but the demographic divide in outlet preference is clear.

Younger people are viewing their chosen programming using devices like tablets instead of TVs. Currently the TV industry is waiting expectantly for the day when the scales tip and television viewership begins to lose its majority hold on the market

These reports are of particular interest to a large number of companies that distribute media through these outlets. Heavy players on this field include Hulu, AOL, Comcast, NBC, CNN and others. Some speculate that the changing trends, if they continue in this pattern, will necessitate major changes for the structure of traditional media, which could create problems for major sources of funding from advertising.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/31/452...entiation.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/09/bu...pagewanted=all

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/enterta...101/story.html