35 Percent of Blacks Watch TV Online, 13 Percent Consider Cancelling Cable

As African Americans continue to bridge the disparity in broadband usage and access, we’ve witnessed a number of trends that show that not only are we adopting technology, we’re beginning to dominate in usage. Blacks currently outpace other ethnic groups in mobile phone usage according to the Pew Report and now it seems online television may become the next frontier.

According to a new study titled “Multiplatform Content and Services: Multicultural Edition,” from Horowitz Associates, African Americans are now the biggest consumer of Internet TV. For those unfamilar with Horowitz, they are a leading provider of consumer research for cable operators, television networks, Internet and broadband companies to name a few. The study comprised of 1,000 survey participants nationwide that have broadband access in their homes. The report states that Asians currently lead the pack with 48% watching television online with Latinos at a close second at 46% and African Americans and Caucasians coming in with 35% each. When it comes to watching television via a handheld device the numbers shift with 22% of Hispanics, 19% of blacks and 16% of Asians tuning in.

While alternative forms of television are being employed, it should be noted that the traditional set continues to reign supreme with 74% of blacks responding that they still watch most of their programs on a regular set. Whites and Latinos weighed in with 75% and Asians with 70% keeping it old school with the TV. It should be noted that the term “traditional set” wasn’t defined in the study, so it’s unclear where current TVs that stream online content and allow users to surf the net fall into the equation.

With the increasing popularity of online TV are minorities ready to cut their cable subscriptions? Not exactly. According to the report, only 13% of African Americans are ready to take the leap. Asians and whites were more sold on the possibility with 24% and 25% respectively. Latinos were somewhere in the middle with 18%. The tide is turning in digital’s favor according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project whose recent study shows that 65% of Internet users have paid for content with 16% paying for TV shows, movies, and videos.