Computer is the new TV, even for sitcoms*

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Viewership of TV shows, such as ‘Glee,’ online has quadrupled, a new survey shows. Credit: Hulu

If you’re watching more TV on your computer these days -- and less on an actual TV -- you’re not alone.

A survey by the nonprofit Conference Board released today shows that nearly a quarter of households in the U.S. now watch television programs online. *That’s up from 20% who watched TV shows on the computer last year.

This quarterly Consumer Internet Barometer survey found that news shows are viewed by 43% of online watchers, followed by the 35% who watch sitcoms, comedies and dramas. Then it goes down to 19% who view reality shows and 18% favoring sports (that number might be higher if more live sports events were shown free online).

Viewership of the Hulu service -- which offers shows from NBC, ABC, Fox and others -- nearly quadrupled from last year, but that’s not a big surprise because Hulu didn’t debut until March 2007.

The survey found that 90% of online viewers watch at home. The remaining 10% watch at the office, which is shocking.

I’d write more, but Hulu just added a new clip from ‘Glee.’

-- David Colker