Four in five tablet owners use device whilst watching TV

New research from BBC Worldwide sheds light on the viewing habits of the global news audience, reporting that the majority of tablet owners use their smart device whilst watching TV.

The survey, conducted in conjunction with InSites Consulting, took a sample of more than 3,600 digital device owners across the globe – in Australia, Singapore, India, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Poland, Germany, France and the U.S.

The results revealed that 43% of tablet owners watch more TV news now than they did five years ago, and that 83% of owners use the device as a second screen whilst watching TV.

Despite the growing popularity of smart devices, TV remains the first choice screen when it comes to breaking news. Across all age groups, 42% of news consumption is still happening on TV, followed by laptops (29%), smartphones (18%) and tablets at the bottom of the table with 10%.

The report further suggested that news audiences see as much advertising on smart devices as they do on TV and online platforms – 79% for tablets, 84% for smartphones, 87% for TV and 84% for internet.

The study found that desktop users are most likely to respond to ads (one in four), with one in five responding to TV ads and one in seven responding to an ad on mobile in the last four weeks.

Jim Egan, CEO of BBC Global News Ltd, said: “Avid news consumers are hungry for information wherever they are and expect to stay in touch on all the devices they now own.

“There’s been speculation for years that mainstream uptake of smartphones, laptops and tablets will have a negative impact on television viewing, but this study has found that the four devices actually work well together, resulting in greater overall consumption rather than having a cannibalising effect.”