Netflix, YouTube are popular among owners of Web-connected TVs

A study by The NPD Group reports that 57% of Internet-connected TV owners use the devices to watch television shows and movies on Netflix, while 47% tap into YouTube and 54% access music and photos. The research company said that Web-tethered sets now make up almost 12% of flat-panel TV sales, a 38% increase over 2009.

In the slowly growing market of Internet-connected television, 57% of owners are primarily using the functionality to access Netflix streaming, according to The NPD Group.

The percentage is significant considering it surpasses by 10 percentage points (47%) the number of connected TV owners accessing YouTube, the perennial leader in online video consumption. While more users access Netflix than YouTube, YouTube was still the second most-popular service used on connected TVs. Another 54% utilize connectivity to access music and photos.

Netflix in November launched a streaming-only service domestically after announcing that a majority of its subscribers stream content versus renting physical discs.

The NPD said sales of IPTV (connected) TVs increased 38% (January – November) compared to the same time period in 2009, and now make up nearly 12% of all flat-panel sales.

Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis with The NPD Group in Port Washington, New York, said that until CE manufacturers and media companies increase and simplify access to entertainment content to the TV from the Internet, early adopters will navigate toward marquee brands such as Netflix, Hulu and YouTube.

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