MUMBAI: The number of US consumers currently accessing the internet through their TV sets is on the rise and will continue to grow dramatically in the year ahead, according to a consumer study conducted by Frank N. Magid Associates.

The research, conducted as part of the Magid Media Futures 2012 study, found that 21 per cent of consumers connect to the internet via their TVs in comparison to 16 per cent last year. They use the connected TV for web browsing, viewing videos through subscription services such as Netflix, online gaming and visiting Facebook, in addition to other Web services and content.

Game consoles (e.g. Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) are the primary means of connecting to the Internet via TV, followed by smart TVs, Blu-Ray players, and over the top devices (e.g. Roku, Apple TV, Google TV). Early adopters are more likely to be male (56 per cent male vs. 44 per cent female) with more than half of the adopters between the ages of 18-44.
 
The number of consumers accessing the Internet via their TVs will continue to grow, as 30 per cent of consumers who do not currently access the internet through TV say they are interested in doing so. These potential subsequent adopters also skew male (58 per cent male versus 42 per cent female) and tend to be slightly older than current users – ages 25-54.

Magid Advisors president Mike Vorhaus said, "Connected TVs will bring the Internet to the large screen, in contrast to how the smartphone has brought the Internet to the small screen. Consumers will be able to watch and browse what they want, when they want, on a big screen through connected TVs".