Netflix not a TV cannibal, says TiVo Research

Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) is many things--including a frontrunner for some Emmy hardware--but it's not a cannibal, according to TiVo Research and Analytics' (TRA) study of traditional TV tuning behaviors of self-identified Netflix subscribers.

In news that should sit well with IPTV and other pay TV providers, the research firm indicated that not only does TiVo not cannibalize traditional linear TV viewing, but it might actually enhance the experience for those who love to watch TV.

TRA's conclusions were culled from 9,956 TiVo subscribers who agreed to have their set-top box viewing information gathered. Fifty-seven percent of those respondents said they subscribe to Netflix and 18 percent had watched the online streaming service's vaunted series House of Cards. Surprisingly perhaps, 50 percent also reported that they subscribe to Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) Prime, 18 percent subscribe to Hulu Plus and 8 percent subscribe to all three.

Breaking it down even further, households that viewed House of Cards watched 85 percent more HBO than non-Netflix households, and watched Showtime's drama Homeland 125 percent more than non-Netflix subs.

This means 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," Mark Lieberman, TRA's CEO said in a press release. "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."

For more:
- TiVo Research and Analytics issued this press release

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