A study to be released today shows that the proliferation of high-speed Internet service is not taking audiences away from television or other media, including newspapers and magazines.
Research was commissioned by Yahoo! and communications firm Mediaedge:cia. Findings are set to be disclosed during a Yahoo! forum at the Museum of Television and Radio in GothamGotham.
Study by Forrester Research and Headlight Vision found that broadband Internet users are actually turning to the Web for deeper content and entertainment info without forsaking other media.
Broadband users are two to three times more likely to download video than dial-up customers, including movie clips, trailers, news video, sports events and cartoons. And they are twice as likely to use the Internet to augment their decisions about which movies to see.
Mediaedge managing partner and director of consumer insights Meridith Jamin said study suggests that advertisers should integrate their messages across various platforms, ensuring a richer and more compelling brand experience.
Jamin said the advent of wireless Internet will only increase this trend.
"For us, the big 'ah ha' is that people are meshing together their use of media. We are no longer in the situation that we need to worry that the Internet is going to cause the death of television," Jamin said.
According to the study, 64% of broadband users watch TV or read newspapers or mags at the same time that they are online. That number jumps to 71% for wireless broadband users.
Just as key for advertisers, broadband users turn to the Internet for more information on a subject they've seen on TV or read about.
According to the research project, over 50% of Internet users have high-speed access. Nationwide, roughly 8% of Internet households have wireless broadband. Study participants said the freedom of location allows even more of an integrated media experience.
