Netflix ‘not cannibalising traditional TV’ says TiVo study

Over-the-top video service Netflix is not cannibalising traditional TV viewing, according to a new study by DVR-maker TiVo. 

The research, carried out by TiVo’s Research and Analytics subsidiary, found that there was “no significant difference in the amount of traditional TV viewing” between Netflix and non-Netflix households in the US, with neither group differing from the overall TV viewing population.

The information, taken from a survey of almost 10,000 TiVo customers who opted to have their set-top-box viewing information collected between November 2012 and April 2013, found that 57% of respondents said that they subscribe to Netflix, with 50% also reporting they subscribe to Amazon Prime and 18% to Hulu Plus. Some 8% of households said they subscribed to all three over-the-top services.

While Netflix viewing was not found to impact on linear viewing, the study did in fact find that Netflix households were “heavier viewers of other premium dramas.”

Some 18% Netflix households polled said that they had watched Netflix’s original drama House of Cards. Those that did were found to have watched 85% more HBO than non-Netflix households and watched cable network Showtime’s drama series Homeland 125% more than those who don’t use Netflix.

“Our data show that Netflix is not currently a substitute for traditional television, but offers a way for TV lovers to watch more of the kinds of programs they love. The future of television may tell a different story, but as of today we’ve found that the Netflix subscribers in our study are not watching less traditional TV,” said Mark Lieberman, CEO of TiVo Research and Analytics.