Almost a quarter of Irish households have abandoned paid TV services such as satellite or cable over the past five years in favour of viewing content online, according to new research.

Just more than half of the 1,000 respondents surveyed on behalf of telecoms and broadband provider Pure Telecom ranked streamed and internet-reliant content above paid and free-to-air television programmes.

The study shows a third of those surveyed would consider ditching television services altogether due to the availability of content online and the opportunity to avoid paying their television licence.

Currently, 88 per cent of those with a fixed-line broadband connection surveyed by Pure said they streamed online content. Most watched on average 5½ hours of programmes a week. However, millennials viewed as much as eight hours due to binge-watching shows.

"Media consumption is evolving and internet traffic is at an all-time high due to customers watching and downloading content online. Streaming channels are producing top quality original TV shows and movies, which people can watch at any time that suits them," said Pure Telecom's director Paul Connell.