41% of tablet owners say they use their device to extend their TV experience to various activities such as looking up, posting, and chatting about what they are watching on TV, according to a January 2012 study from Discovery Communications, which surveyed over a thousand Discovery Viewers on their media habits. Additionally, 53% said they use their iPad while watching TV to find other content. In fact, 43% of the device owners surveyed said they watch TV and go online simultaneously either all the time (18%) or some of the time (25%), compared to 33% of the non-iPad owners surveyed.
According to Nielsen data released in October 2011, 28% of tablet owners use their devices while watching TV several times a week, ahead of smartphone (24%) and e-reader (14%) users.
iPad Owners Better Multitaskers
The study found significant differences between iPad and non-iPad owners’ multitasking behaviors, with the former more likely to engage in activities connected to the content they consume on TV. For example, iPad owners were 17% more likely than their non-device-owning counterparts to conduct research related to what they were watching on TV, and also 17% more likely to view content related to what they were watching.
Meanwhile, iPad owners were 50% more likely to engage in social activities such as updating their status or tweeting while watching TV.
Simultaneous Platform Use Increases Ad Connection
Data from the “Video Perceptions Study” indicates that 45% of respondents who go online, use their iPad, or use their mobile device while watching TV are more likely to search for a product they saw advertised on TV. Roughly one-quarter feel more connected to the show they are watching as a result of going online, and almost 1 in 5 say they remember advertised products better.
Other Findings:
- iPad owners consume more video content on devices other than TV than non-iPad owners. In fact, they are 86% more likely to watch more than 20 hours of video per week on alternative devices.
- iPad owners are also more likely to watch conventional TV for longer periods of time than those without the tablets.
- 74% of iPad owners say they primarily use their device as an entertainment device, while 63% say they do not foresee replacing their laptop/desktop with their device.
