If you are pressed for time during the week you can still catch some of your favorite shows on the web anywhere in the world. Online TV viewing has been gaining in popularity. Nearly one-fifth of American households who use the internet watch television broadcasts online, which is double the viewership from 2006, according to The Conference Board and TNS. The top two destinations for online broadcasts are the official TV channel homepage and YouTube.com.

Most consumers do not like a set schedule. Being able to watch broadcasts on their own time and at their convenience are the top reasons users tune in online. Other reasons include avoiding commercials and portability (although networks are becoming more and more savvy to the online viewing phenomena and have started incorporating commercials and advertisements before the videos play). Nearly 72 percent of online households log on for entertainment purposes on a daily basis, and one in ten cites entertainment as the most important internet activity.

The top five types of shows viewed online are news, drama, sitcom/comedy, reality shows and sports, with user-generated content following close behind. Among consumers connecting to online broadcasts, 43 percent tune into the news, 39 percent watch drama shows, 34 percent view sitcom/comedy shows, 23 percent watch reality shows, 16 percent view sports, and 15 percent view user-generated content. Other categories attracting viewers include previews, additional content from favorite shows, soap operas, and advertisements.

Among online TV viewers, almost nine out of ten watch online broadcasts at home. About 15 percent say they watch internet broadcasts in the office, and 6 percent watch TV online from other locations, including the library or a friend's home.

"The shift from appointment TV to content on demand is well underway," says Michael Saxon, Senior Vice President, Brand and Communications, TNS. "Fundamentally, consumers expect content to be available when they want it, and on the screen of their choice -- TV, PC, or mobile. For consumers, PCs enhance content on demand from simply time-shifting to place-shifting. Online content can be viewed in any room in the house, or at work or school."

Most TV networks have full episodes available for viewing on their website, including powerhouses like NBC, Sci-Fi Channel, ABC, USA, TNT, CBS, FOX, FX, the WB, CW and more. This is great for those that maintain busy schedules and can't sit down in front of the tele at the precise time of the show's airing. It is also good news for those that travel on a regular basis as well.

The next question is: How will this factor into the statistics revolving around a show's viability? What if a show's bulk fandom comes from internet viewers, or at least a good portion of it? Will online viewing stats be considered when it comes time for networks to deliver the axe to less-than-productive television series?

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