Broadband Users Are Drawn to Traditional Media Websites.

Scarborough Research announced a recent study that shows American adults with at-home broadband connections accounted for almost one-third (31 percent) of all consumer online spending last year totaling 15 billon dollars.

At home broadband users– those who used an ISDN, DSL technology or a cable modem to access the Internet in the past 30 days– currently represent 19 percent of online adults. America’s 23 million broadband users are twice as likely as all Internet users to have spent $2,500 or more online in the past 12 months. Broadband users are 39 percent more likely to purchase jewelry online; 64 percent more likely to purchase toys and games online; and 64 percent more likely to purchase cars, trucks and SUVs. Furthermore, broadband users are more likely to use the Internet to view traditional media content than other Internet users. This escalating category of Internet users is the next generation of web users and information seekers.

Broadband users are 68 percent more likely than all Internet users to have read a magazine online and 40 percent more likely to have read a newspaper online in the past 30 days. One-fifth (20 percent) of broadband users listened to the radio online in the past 30 days, making them 72 percent more likely than all Internet users to do so. As compared to all Internet users, broadband users are 42 percent more likely to have visited a broadcast television network website in the past 30 days and one-third (33 percent) more likely to have logged onto a local television station website. They are also 45 percent more likely to have accessed Internet yellow pages in the past 30 days.

“Traditional media websites, which have often been perceived mostly as extensions of their broadcast or print counterparts, are able to provide richer online experiences to those with broadband connections and offer rich content like streaming audio and video, interactive games, and sophisticated graphics and downloads,” said Gary Meo, senior vice president, internet and print sales, Scarborough Research. “Their ability to integrate traditional content with rich media also allows online marketers to present advertising in new and exciting formats. The continued adoption of broadband is one of the key drivers of the advertising growth that online companies have been experiencing this year.”

Where do broadband users live?

According to Scarborough Research, Honolulu is the top ranked broadband market as 40 percent of Honolulu adults who accessed the Internet in the past 30 days have a broadband connection at-home. San Diego, CA, is second highest with 34 percent followed by Rochester, NY, with 32 percent. Cities with the lowest broadband penetration include Spokane, WA (nine percent), Albuquerque/Santa Fe, NM (eight percent), and Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA (six percent).

Compared to all Internet users in the U.S., broadband users are well-educated (12 percent more likely than all adults accessing the Internet to hold a college degree and 17 percent more likely to have a post-graduate degree) and affluent (32 percent more likely than total Internet users to have household incomes of $75,000 or more). Slightly more than a quarter (26 percent) of broadband users are between the ages of 35 and 44 and almost half (49 percent) have one or more children in the household.

“At-home broadband consumers spend more money online than the average Internet user and their affluence and education levels make them a favorable marketing target,” said Mr. Meo. “Local media outlets can take advantage of broadband penetration in their markets – and the expanded creativity of rich content – to reach this valuable consumer group with content and advertising.”