Most Consumers Would Watch Ad For Free TV Download

MOST CONSUMERS WOULD WATCH AD FOR FREE TV DOWNLOAD

Study Finds 72% Willing to Watch Ad on iPod Shows if Sponsor Picks Up Cost

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Broadcast networks like ABC are selling some of their most popular shows on Apple’s iTunes for $1.99, but a new study finds that most consumers would be willing to watch an ad if the sponsor picked up the cost of the show.

And if that model becomes the standard, more would be interested in buying a video iPod.
Incentive to buyThe survey, which explored attitudes toward video iPods, found that 54% of respondents would be more likely to purchase an iPod if TV programs could be downloaded free of charge in exchange for watching a 30-second advertisement.

Among those actually planning to purchase a video iPod, 72% said they would be more likely to download a TV program in exchange for watching an ad. The Magid study surveyed 798 iPod owners between the ages of 12 and 55. Market research firm Frank N. Magid Associates conducted the study.

“It appears that the option to download content of choice for free will dramatically increase interest in purchasing a video iPod, thus potentially increasing video iPod sales and penetration,” the study concluded.

Some free content availableSome free TV content exists on iTunes. The pilot episode of NBC’s “Conviction,” for example, was available for free a week before its first airing.

“We believe that if there’s free content out there, it will get people to buy the machines and sample the content,” said Mike Vorhaus, managing director, Magid Associates. But he added that only select, appropriate content should be offered free of charge and the content should not include music videos.