• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, October 16, 2007

Close to 16% of American households who use the Internet watch television broadcasts online, according to a report released Monday by The Conference Board and TNS. The number of consumers viewing entire episodes/shows on the Internet has doubled from a year ago.

Nearly 73% of online households use the Internet for entertainment purposes on a daily basis, and an additional 15% search for entertainment several times a week.

Online viewers cite personal convenience and avoiding commercials as their top two reasons for watching TV broadcasts on the Internet.

Four out of every five online viewers say that watching these programs online has not changed their television viewing habits, but a small percentage claim that their traditional television viewing has decreased.

More than three of five online TV viewers cite personal convenience as the major reason for watching TV broadcasts online. More than a third choose online viewing to avoid watching television commercials. Other reasons cited include portability and a preference for computer viewing.

The top methods for viewing broadcasts online are streaming and free downloading. Consumers also enroll in pay-per-download and subscription services, although this is much less prevalent. About two-thirds of viewers stream online content, and more than 40% download content for free.

The Consumer Internet Barometer is based on a quarterly survey of 10,000 households. A unique sample is surveyed each quarter.