NEW YORK: Households with at least one person from Generation X and those with children are much more likely to view over-the-top (OTT) content via TV sets, a new study has shown.

Research firm GfK found that more than half (53%) of households containing someone aged roughly 35-49-years-old view OTT content via TV sets, compared with the national average of 40% of all TV households.

Similarly, 54% of households with children use Smart TVs or web-connected devices linked to television sets to go OTT, compared with 34% of households that have no children.

A full 20% of homes do not pay for traditional TV, the report found, while streaming video has become the third most common online activity in the US.

That places it behind only social networking and online shopping on the list of online activities, but ahead of listening to music, instant messaging and internet gaming.

"The old stereotype of an OTT viewer hunched over a laptop or tablet is very much out of date," said David Tice, svp of GfK's media and entertainment practice.

"Rapid adoption of smart TVs and digital media players over the past three years has pushed OTT to the biggest screens in the home, with attendant expectations from consumers that OTT quality should be as good as regular TV service, and as easy to use as mobile OTT options."

Turning to OTT adoption among different groups in the US, the report found a high uptake among Hispanics (42%) and Caucasian Americans (40%), but a relatively low rate of adoption among African Americans (29%).

Data sourced from GfK; additional content by Warc staff