Newswise — Close to 16 percent of American households who use the internet watch television broadcasts online, The Conference Board and TNS report today. The number of consumers viewing entire episodes/shows on the internet has doubled from a year ago.

"Although online television viewing is still not a widespread phenomenon, the proportion of users has increased since 2006 and is likely to increase over time, given consumers' love for entertainment," says Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center.

Nearly 73 percent of online households use the internet for entertainment purposes on a daily basis and an additional 15 percent 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. Watching TV Has Replaced News as the Most Widely Viewed Content OnlineMore than three out of five online TV viewers cite personal convenience as the major reason for watching TV broadcasts online. More than a third chooses online viewing in order to avoid watching television commercials. Other reasons cited include portability and a preference for computer viewing.

Says Franco: "One reason that personal convenience is the top reason for online viewing is that much of the same content available for television viewers is also available online." Online users catching up on missed content have increased to 42 percent from 30 percent a year ago. Consumers viewing entire episodes on the internet have doubled, and now approximately half watch their favorite shows online. This has replaced the news as the most widely viewed content online. Other online viewing preferences include sports, entertainment, previews and additional content.

"Over the next few years, the growing popularity of viewing TV episodes/shows online is going to have a huge impact on the way brands and advertisers communicate with viewers," says Shari Morwood, E.V.P. of Technology, Telecommunications and Media at TNS. "If advertisers can effectively leverage the online video platform, we should see much more interactivity and emotional connection between brands and the online TV viewing audience. On a broader scale, we will also see changes in viewing preferences, including TV on mobile devices, as media, telecom, and technology increasingly converge."

Few Consumers Pay for Online Television DownloadsThe top methods for viewing broadcasts online are streaming and free downloading. Consumers also enroll in pay per download and subscription services, though this is much less prevalent. About two-thirds of viewers stream online content, and more than 40 percent download content for free.

About This Survey:The Consumer Internet Barometer is based on a quarterly survey of 10,000 households. A unique sample is surveyed each quarter. Return rates average 70 percent, which ensures highly representative data. Data is weighted as well to reflect the latest U.S. household demographic information. The latest survey was conducted during the third quarter of 2007.

About The Conference Board Non-partisan and not-for-profit, The Conference Board is one of the world's leading business membership and research organizations. The Conference Board produces The Consumer Confidence Index and the Leading Economic Indicators for the U.S. and other major nations. These barometers can have a major impact on the financial markets. The Conference Board also produces a wide range of authoritative reports on corporate governance and ethics, human resources and diversity, executive compensation and corporate citizenship. Our conference and council programs bring together more than 10,000 senior executives each year to share insights and learn from each other. Visit The Conference Board website at http://www.conference-board.org. About TNS TNS is a global market insight and information group. Our strategic goal is to be recognized as the global leader in delivering value-added information and insights that help our clients to make more effective decisions. As industry thought leaders, our people deliver innovative thinking and excellent service to global organizations and local clients worldwide. We work in partnership with our clients, meeting their needs for high-quality information, analysis and foresight across our network of over 70 countries. We are the world's foremost provider of custom research and analysis, combining in-depth industry sector understanding with world-class expertise in the areas of Retail and Shopper Insights, Stakeholder Management, New Product Development, and Brand and Communications. We are a major supplier of consumer panel, media intelligence and internet, TV and radio audience measurement services.