We’ve seen years of hype around the concept of “Internet Television.” In the last twelve months, though, we’ve begun to see mass-market consumers shift some of their TV viewing online.

The New York Times reports this month on Serving Up Television Without the TV Set:

When the fourth season of “The Office,” an NBC comedy, had its premiere in September, one in five viewings was on a computer screen instead of a television. The episode attracted a broadcast audience of 9.7 million people, according to Nielsen Media Research. It was also streamed from the Web 2.7 million times in one week, the executive producer, Greg Daniels, said.

“The Office” is on the leading edge of a sharp shift in entertainment viewing that was thought to be years away: watching television episodes on a computer screen is now a common activity for millions of consumers.

At least in the short- and medium-term, new technologies tend to supplement older technologies, rather than replace the old. Don’t worry, traditional TV isn’t going to disappear.  However we’re going to see the Internet increasingly emerge as a viable alternate distribution channel for video entertainment.

Filed under: video