Survey data from the Horowitz Associates (HA) annual Broadband Content and Services (BCS) survey of 800 Internet users has found that 44% of people watch professionally made TV content at least once monthly, including on mobile platforms.

HA says that portending future growth of viewing on alternative platforms, incidence of TV consumption on the computer and handheld devices is already ubiquitous among young people, with 82% of 15-17 year olds surveyed viewing at least monthly. On handheld devices alone, half (48%) of online young people surveyed report watching TV content at least monthly, doubling from 24% last year.

Consumption of TV content on what HA descries as alternative platforms, such as mobile,varies by genre. News is the most popular genre among adult Internet users, and music videos topping the chart among 15-17 year olds. Sports, kids' content, and movies were, according to the survey, the genres least likely to be viewed on a platform other than traditional TV.

Even though HA believes that incidence and sampling of alternative TV platforms has apparently reached mass market proportions, the survey indicates that the actual percent of TV content consumed on alternative platforms remains small. According to the study, of all the hours Internet users say they spend watching TV programs, about 4% of TV time is on a platform other than a TV set - 2% on a PC/laptop and 2% on a handheld - with the vast majority (96%) still consumed via the traditional television platform.

"It's important to keep in perspective that when all is said and done, consumers are still spending only a very small amount of their total TV time on alternative platforms," notes Adriana Waterston, VP of Marketing for the research firm. "But, we anticipate that multiplatform TV viewing will continue to grow - especially among young people - as the technology improves towards a more authentic and convenient TV experience, and with programmers and aggregators actively promoting themselves on these platforms."