A Nielsen study has found that traditional TV isn’t suffering any damage as a result of the rise in popularity of TV over the internet, which jumped 16% in 6 months.

The study revealed that, as of March 2007, some 81 million people out of 129 million with broadband internet access – or 63% - have watched broadband video at home or work. The growth is sure to continue rapidly, with 32 million broadband users indicating they were open to the idea of TV on the internet, not having yet explored it.

A good sign for the traditional TV business was the fact 33% of those who have watched video over broadband internet had actually increased their normal TV viewing. This compares to only 13% of broadband video watchers who claimed their normal TV habits had decreased.

The figures indicate that new media can be utilised to compliment, and not cannibalise, traditional media – perhaps a fact already well known to companies such as NewsCorp who have hefty interests in both online and traditional media.

[Via Mediaweek]

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