The convergence of the Internet and television could finally be here. At least, Showtime Networks thinks so.
The cable-TV company conducted a study in January which showed that one in five households were simultaneously watching TV and working, shopping, or entertaining themselves online.
According to the study, this number has grown 80 percent since December 1997 to more than 18 million households. Showtime said in a statement that an additional five million households keep their personal computers and televisions in the same room.
"The fact that one out of every five television households in America is watching television and engaging in online activity at the same time indicates that there is great potential to attract audiences to programming that combines both mediums," said Mark Greenberg, executive vice president of corporate strategy and communications for Showtime Networks.
Showtime's statement said it plans to continue developing programming that "allows co-users to use the Internet to enhance the television experience," but it's not the only entertainer to have this bright idea.
Internet porn queen Danni Ashe lured thousands to her site this January with Boob Bowl I, an online video feed that aired during the halftime show of the SuperBowl. She showed nude models in a "typical locker-room scenario." Ashe's term for the event was "cleavage convergence."
