Poll Finds Age Gap in Cord Cutting
The takedown of cable and satellite companies by online video will have to wait: a New York Times/CBS News poll found that while 88 percent of people subscribed to a pay TV service, only 15 percent of those would consider replacing their pay service with streaming content.
But perhaps that day isn't so far away. While the overall numbers weren't strong for cord-cutters, as those who opt for DVDs and streaming content over pay services are called, younger people were far more likely to be interested. The poll found that those under 45 were four times more likely to be open to the idea.
The poll surveyed 847 people from August 3 to 5, and has a margin of error of 3 percent. It's included in a story in today's New York Times entitled "In the Living Room, Hooked on Pay TV."
The article details the ways that pay TV services are fighting back against cord-cutting-by experimenting with on-demand content and keeping some programming off the Internet-noting that even during the recession, pay TV subscriptions continued to grow.
A related story on CNET also notes the generational shift in viewing habits. The median age of network viewers is getting older, while younger people are more comfortable getting all of their media online.
"There is a generational shift that needs to be acknowledged," CNET quotes Andrew Kippen, vice president of marketing for Boxee, as saying. "Younger people get everything from the Internet. They're discovering music through MySpace and other social-networking sites. They're watching TV on Hulu.com. Their Internet connection is their lifeline."
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