Not hugely surprising, but CBS commissioned a study showing that watching full-length shows online won’t destroy television viewership, and it will attract a younger audience.

The study of 50,000 people, commissioned by the network and conducted by Magid Media Labs, polled viewers who have watched full episodes of CBS shows across the company’s partners in the CBS Audience Network.

The findings:

• Median age of online viewers: 38
• 35 percent of online watchers say they are now more likely to watch CBS on TV after finding shows online.
• About 46 percent say they only or mostly watch online.
• Half of respondents recalled the brand of an ad they saw during the online show.
• About 18 percent of those who remembered an ad that they saw during the online show said it played a role in their choosing to buy something. That number rose to 31 percent for consumer packaged goods.

In other words, TV networks have nothing to lose. The cable networks, which rely on affiliate fees from cable operators, on the other hand …

(Photo: Reuters)