Dish Network introduced the Auto Hop to their Hopper HD DVR last month, resulting in outcry from many of the major TV networks.
The feature allows users to view recorded programs without ever seeing the accompanying commercials, but several of the networks are suing Dish, claiming that the feature violates their copyright and licensing agreements. TVPredictions.com conducted a survey following the introduction of Auto Hop, asking if users would watch more TV if commercials were automatically eliminated. Of those asked, 41% said that they would watch more TV if advertisements were taken out.
Interestingly, though, only 20% of those surveyed said that they would pay extra to have the ad-zapping function.
Still, the amount of viewers who would be willing to watch more TV if the ads were removed is a large enough group to worry TV advertisers who are already hurting as they try to compete with tablets and smartphones. What are companies doing to improve their odds in the battle of the screens? Read our full report here.
