Studies suggest more young adults turn to Internet TV instead of cable, broadcast or satellite TV — a trend Nielsen called “Zero-TV” in a recent study. The study reported the U.S. had more than 5 million “Zero-TV” households in 2013.
John Peters, a Best Buy sales consultant in Gainesville, said many of his customers are opting out of satellite or cable for Internet TV.
Peters said more people are buying streaming boxes, such as the Apple TV and the Roku box, along with their TV purchases. The boxes allow users to access thousands of shows and movies through premium services like Netflix and Hulu Plus.
“There’s no monthly fee, so people can save money and get more entertainment choices,” he said. “These devices were popular, but in the past year, they’re now more of a necessity of our customers.”
Kathy Keeter, a 21-year-old UF Spanish, political science and women’s studies senior, said she uses Hulu and Netflix on her computer to watch shows. After graduation, she plans to buy a streaming device instead of paying for cable.
“It seems people don’t like to channel surf anymore,” she said. “They want to come home and watch a specific show on their own time.”
Alissa Tulacro, a 21-year-old UF advertising junior, agreed and said she enjoys streaming her shows instead of watching them on TV because of the convenience.
“There’s definitely a benefit to having a stream box when you want to watch TV,” she said.
