The rise of handheld technology in the home, and growing social media penetration has given TV a new dimension in the way it can interact with its audience. It’s a two way street: instant critique on shows and interactive debate via network websites and Twitter mean today’s TV audience has a loudly heard voice. At the same time, the second screen gives networks and advertisers another window into the living room while they have the audience tuned in.
In our latest consumer insight we look at the rise of second screen within the home.
Who is the second screen audience?
RealityMine’s research uncovered some interesting findings. Firstly, more than two thirds of TV viewers use a second screen and secondly, and perhaps not surprisingly, it’s the 18-24 year old age group that is most likely to be using a second screen.
What is the most popular second screen device?
68% of people are likely to be watching live TV whilst using a second screen and, whilst tablets and smartphones are most likely to be the second screen in use, these tend to be used intermittently or for short bursts, with laptops, desktops and gaming devices being used by less people but for a longer period of time.
What apps are being used when watching TV?
In terms of apps being used whilst watching TV, not surprisingly it’s social networking that dominates second screen use as audiences comment on the shows they are watching. Games are used predominantly to bridge advert breaks. This means the audience can still be reached with in app advertising even when their attention is not fully on the TV screen.
How are consumers feeling when using a second screen?
This chart counts the number of viewing sessions where viewers accessed a second screen. We see that the majority did this when in a positive mood. Interestingly the highest ranked negative mood was ‘exhausted’, indicating that TV is seen as a good way to relax. Advertisers should target viewers in a way to capitalise on positive moods via the second screen.
What technology is most popular for on-demand viewing?
In this chart, the size of each bubble is indicative of the number of people using each technology to access on demand services. You can see that TV still remains the first screen in this field with desktops and laptops a close second. Somewhat surprisingly mobile phones rank highly in this market, probably due to people consuming on demand media while out and about, or on their daily commute.
Data based on 1,826 survey respondents in the US. RealityMine used mobile passive behaviour tools to monitor patterns.
