Image via CrunchBase

According to a recent Nielsen Co. study, Americans are watching a lot of TV—158 hours a month to be precise. That sounds like a hefty amount of prime time, but those hours indicate a mere 0.2 percent increase from last year; the real percentage spikes come when you bring the internet into the equation.

The Little Device that Could… Do Everything

It hasn’t taken long for Smartphones to become the mobile phone standard, and it isn’t rare to see someone armed with an iPad anymore; you can do pretty much anything you’d want to on your phone or tablet. Being able to catch up on episodes of True Blood sans actual television is one example of why TV viewing via internet has jumped 34 percent since last year, and TV-watching via mobile device has jumped 20 percent since last year.

You Had Me at “Watch Online”

Behind those numbers lurks one of the strongest motivators of human action: convenience. Companies who provide streamed entertainment recognized that more and more people will want to be able to watch TV on the go, so they’ve scrambled to beef up online offerings. It’s now easy to find current TV shows online, and when you combine options with mobility, it’s an entertainment match made in… Apple.

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s… Something You Should Try

Accessing TV via the Internet doesn’t mean you have to relinquish your 52-inch beauty, it means you have greater entertainment freedom, like sneaking World Cup scores on your phone during family Disney night. The shows, the news, the sports are there; will you enjoy it via laptop, Smartphone, or iPad?