New study by ISPA partner netgem.tv reveals how people’s viewing habits are rapidly changing.

The average Brit now only watches 12 TV channels from the hundreds they sign up to - as the appetite for streamed, on-demand content is surging, according to a new study.

Streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon are now as popular as traditional paid-for packages from Sky, Virgin Media and BT TV with a third (29%) of all the TV we watch now being streamed.

Out of the 2,000 UK adults surveyed by online TV service netgem.tv, 59% pay for one or more of the big three providers, Sky, Virgin Media or BT TV, whereas 58% have a Netflix or Amazon Prime TV account.

Nearly six in 10 (56%) customers of Sky, Virgin or BT still stream additional content on at least a weekly basis - with this figure rising to 74% among those aged 18-34.

Sylvain Thevenot, Managing Director of netgem.tv, said: "The findings show the extent to which the dominance of the traditional

TV providers have been disrupted by cheaper ‘pick and play’ online services.

"The advent of free & affordable, streaming services poses the why would anyone pay for expensive TV bundles which cater for one taste?

"Perhaps people used to make more of the TV channels they were buying, but now our evidence shows that most people only watch a fraction available to them and therefore are paying for channels they are not using.

"People are paying too much for TV which doesn’t cater to their - and I’m sure we will see a day in the future when we turn around and say ‘can you remember when we paid £70 a month just to watch TV?’.

"With digital, on demand offerings via services like netgem.tv it’s now possible for every member of the family to enjoy TV personalised to their taste, at a time which suits them, on any device and not have to pay for channels you don’t. The days of channel hopping are well and truly over."

The popularity of catch-up players & streaming services has been on the up in recent years, with UK Broadcasters & internet-based brands able to offer a more personalised service giving access to a range of content from Kids TV to Action Movies, for one low cost monthly fee.

In comparison, traditional TV deals from the likes of Sky force customers to choose one ‘package’ such as ‘Sports’(£20) or ‘Cinema’, often the expense of other channels. (£80+ in total for one extra category).

This model has led to a dissatisfaction with mainstream TV bundles, which struggle to cater for an entire household of people with varying tastes.

In the netgem.tv survey, more than half the Sky, Virgin or BT customers polled (62%), said their package was ‘only slightly’ or ‘not at all’ customised.

Only 1 in 10 (11%) have a package that is highly customised for their household viewing habits.

And a third (32%) of those surveyed with an account with Sky, Virgin Media or BT TV, believe that their paid-for TV package is poor or terrible value for money.

In a further show of dissatisfaction with traditional packages, a fifth (21%) of people who pay for a traditional TV package admit that they stream extra content not on those channels every day.

And it appears the trend for more TV being streamed via online services will continue apace, with younger viewers more likely to pay for a streaming service than a satellite service.

According to the study, almost half (45%) of 18-34 year-olds have Netflix, compared to 20% of people aged 55 and over.

But the days of fighting over the TV Times are not over for all - 42% of those aged over 55 say they still consult a printed TV guide.

Please find the full press release here.