• by Daisy Whitney , Op-Ed Contributor, January 5, 2016

Remember when on-demand video was a quaint little subset of the TV business? Or how about when it was a service provided only by cable or satellite operators?

Nowadays “on-demand video” refers to any sort of “consumer-is-in charge” mode of viewing programming. A study from Limelight Networks finds that more than 83% of consumers watch on-demand video, an increase of 4% from its study in April 2015. What’s more, many of those viewers are regulars, with more than 35% of consumers surveyed watching four of more hours of on-demand video each week. They’re doing so on SmartTVs, Rokus, Apple TVs or gaming consoles.

Interestingly, the TV set itself is still the preferred device, and most over-the-top content consumption is coming through SmartTVs, according to the survey of more than 1,200 consumers. About 30% of those owned a smart TV for watching online video, with 24% using an Xbox, and 19% opting for a Sony PS4. About 28% of consumers don’t own any over-the-top device.

The younger demos are driving the shift, with more than 40% of Millennials subscribing to at least one over-the-top service, compared with 32% for older demos. Some of them have cut the cord already and Limelight found that price is less important a factor when it comes to snipping. Access to content direct from the programmer is influencing the consumer choice to cut the cord and watch favorite shows in new ways, the study found.