• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer, July 3, 2014

According to the results of The Harris Poll of 2,300 U.S. adults, while 77% of U.S. adults say they regularly watch television shows via either cable or satellite TV, 43% say they regularly watch via streaming, including 67% of Millennials. The percentage of Americans saying they most often watch TV on a live feed, recorded or on demand, without streaming, is down from 89% in 2012. Streaming, meanwhile, is up from 20% in 2012 to 23% today.

23% of Americans say they're watching more online/streaming television programming now than they were a year ago, while 37% say their online/streaming viewership is no different than last year and 7% say they're watching less this way now than a year ago. Looking ahead, 18% expect to be watching more online/streaming television programming a year from now while 4% expect to be watching less and 50% don't anticipate a change.

Both premium cable networks and streaming services are hard at work trying to make themselves indispensable through exclusive content, but how much is this impacting consumer behaviors? Nearly four in ten Americans (38%) say they've subscribed to premium cable channels in order to watch specific shows, while one-fourth (24%) have subscribed to one or more streaming services for the same reason.

Looking specifically at streaming TV's likely "core" constituents, 50% of those who list streaming among their top go-to's for television shows say they've subscribed to streaming services for access to specific shows. Additionaly:

1. 60% of streaming-dominant viewers would like to be able to watch TV pilots and vote on what gets ordered as a full series
2. 40% would be willing to pay extra for a service that allowed them to stream current shows ad-free
3. 37% would pay more for a streaming service that allowed them to temporarily download TV episodes, for when they're away from an Internet connection

Among those who regularly watch television shows via streaming, 74% use a computer to do so, while 55% use a television (whether via a set-top box, a game system or a television with integrated online capabilities).

1. 37% watch on tablets, including more than six in ten tablet owners (63%).
2. 30% watch on smartphones, including just over four in ten smartphone owners (42%)

Distracted viewing continues to be the norm, with nearly eight in ten U.S. adults (78%) saying they're ever doing other things while watching TV. More specifically, more than six in ten (63%) engage in online activities; over one-third (35%) text, three in ten (30%) read a book, magazine or newspaper, and 7% read a book on an electronic reading device. 22% say they do other things.

For additional information from HarrisInteractive, please visit here.