Online Spending to Pass TV in UK

eMarkter just reported that online advertising spending is projected to surpass that of TV this year in the UK.  This is a huge development and quite a coo for our interactive friends across the Atlantic.

Most thought this day would ever come.  The day when traditional advertising takes a back seat to their online counterpoints seemed like pie-in-the-sky dreams that would never materialize.  Will the US advertising budgets follow suit?  It’s a definite posibility.

Today the Center for Media Research reported that six out of ten Internet browsers download/ watch online video.  Of those who were surveyed, 70 percent of those who watch their favorite TV shows online (Grey’s Anatomy being the most watched) say they turn to their computers when they miss the original broadcast.  This means that beyond the current ineffectiveness of TV ads (thanks to TiVo and DVRs) people also aren’t even necessarily watching their beloved TV shows on their televisions.

As more and more advertising dollars are slotted for the Internet, it remains to be seen how other media channels will be affected.