Nielsen: Tablet TV viewers don’t pay attention
October 14, 2011
A new survey found that 40 per cent of tablet and smart phone owners are using their functions while watching TV. The research from Nielsen found that most common activity done on tablets and smart phones is checking emails, with about 60 per cent of respondents. And according to the survey, a similar number of users are checking both during programmes and commercials.
Other activities included surfing for unrelated information (46 per cent), visiting social networking sites (42 per cent) and checking sports scores (30 per cent).
Only 29 per cent of users said they used their devices to look up info related to the TV show their watching. And just 19 per cent said they looked up product info after seeing a commercial.
The Nielsen study found a big difference between the behaviour of users of tablets and users of e-readers. Only 14 per cent of e-reader owners said they watched TV while using the device.
Meanwhile, another study says click-through rates on paid-search ads are over a third (37 per cent) higher on tablet devices than on PCs or smartphones, according to Marin Software’s Paid Search Quarterly Benchmarking Report.
The report mapped the annual paid-search spend of 800 advertisers and agencies worldwide, which tops $2bn (£1.3bn) collectively.
The majority (93 per cent) of spend was allocated to PC, while smartphones accounted for 5 per cent, and tablets 2 per cent, according to the report, which tracked trends in the third quarter.