Statistics show support for the Two Screen Social TV Experience - Nielsen Says TV and Internet Combination Growing

Reuters has reported that Americans are spending more time watching television and surfing the Internet simultaneously, and nearly 60 percent of TV viewers use the Web at the same time at least once a month, according to a Nielsen report released on Monday.

Each week, the typical American continues to increase his/her media time, watching over 35 hours of TV, 2 hours of which is timeshifted TV, 20 minutes of online video and 4 minutes of mobile video, while also spending nearly 4 hours on the Internet. In addition, 59% of Americans surf the Internet and watch TV at the same time.

The Nielsen Three Screen Report said the findings in its study belied early concerns that the growing popularity of the Web would kill off traditional TV.

Video viewing across all major media platforms continues to be fueled in part by the adoption of technologies that improve the consumer experience whether it be quality or convenience. Penetration of HDTVs, DVRs, broadband and smartphones increased at double - or even triple - digit rates during the last two years.

Q1 2010 Highlights:

• The amount of time spent watching television is still increasing: viewers watched two more hours of TV per month in Q1 2010 than in Q1 2009
• Average time spent simultaneously using TV and Internet in the home grew 9.8%, to 3 hours and 41 minutes per month
• The number of people who are timeshifting has grown 18% since last year to 94 million, with the average user now timeshifting 9 hours and 36 minutes per month
• The mobile video audience grew 51.2% year-overyear, surpassing 20 million users for the first time
• 52.7% of US homes now have HDTVs and receive HDTV signals

Americans now spend well over 3 hours per month watching TV while surfing online..

Beyond the TV, technology is helping drive video use on the “second” and “third” screens. The proliferation of broadband access is bolstering online video, creating an alternative mass outlet for distributing television content and “timeshifting” long-form TV. Similarly, the increased popularity of smartphones has created yet another opportunity for distributing video of all kinds outside of traditional broadcast and cable TV airing times and places. In an era when many feel the quality and diversity of video content is at an all-time high, it’s clear that there’s more at work than programming alone. Technology enhancements also contribute significantly to the quality of the consumer experience—yet another reason today’s consumers watch more video, across time and place, than ever before.

Key Conclusions of the report include:

• While mobile subscribers watching video on a mobile phone is still only a small fraction of the audience, the year-overyear growth is a notable 51.2%
• Over half (55%) of the mobile video audience is aged 25-49, not teens as some might think
• Simultaneous usage of television and PC, while down year-over-year in March, remains fairly constant Trends to Watch:
• As smartphone penetration continues to proliferate, consumers will be increasingly using these devices (versus PCs) to access the Internet
• With networks beginning to develop loyalty programs for their shows (via apps, etc.), social media will play a larger role in audience engagement
• 3D televisions and content hitting the market may cause a change in viewing behaviors and programming demand for a small but important audience segment
• The emergence of other connected devices, including tablet computers like Apple’s popular iPad, will create additional options for media consumption anytime, anywhere

Download the document here.

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