A third of frequent visitors to the YouTube video-sharing site say they watch less TV as a result of their online video habit, according to a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive.
Forty-two percent of U.S. online adults say they have watched a video on YouTube, with 14% saying they visit the site frequently. Of these, 32% said they are watching less TV as a result of the time they spend on the site.
“[YouTube] has really emerged as a major force in, and problem for, the traditional entertainment industry,” said Harris senior research manager Aongus Burke.
“Not only is YouTube using a lot of their own content to steal the eyeballs they want the most, the site has provided a launching pad to wholly new forms of user-generated video entertainment that are gaining popularity quickly.”
However, the survey also found that 73% of frequent YouTube visitors said they would visit less if the site introduced short video ads before every clip.
“Consumers as a rule are not averse to watching commercials online in order to catch an episode of a TV show they would otherwise miss,” added Burke.
“Yet those who are accustomed to finding and watching everything for free at YouTube may have developed a very different set of expectations for the site.”
