TV-watching on tablets up 200%

Faith Merino · June 27, 2012 · Short URL: https://vator.tv/n/27ee

70% of consumers say they've watched TV/video on something other than a TV set

TV viewing habits are a-changin’, and fewer people are content to melt into their sofas while staring at the tube.  In fact, more people than ever before are watching TV on portable devices, according to a study released Wednesday by NPD DisplaySearch, which surveyed 14 global regions and found that the number of people worldwide who have viewed TV/video content on tablets has doubled since last year. 

The study culled information from 14,000+ TV owners and found that a full 70% of consumers say they have watched TV on alternate viewing devices, such as tablets, phones, and PCs.  Conversely, 30% of respondents said that they only watch TV and video content on their TV sets.

Those who said they’ve watched TV and video content on tablets specifically have risen quite dramatically over the last year.  In the U.S., more than 10% of respondents said they’ve watched TV on a tablet, compared to less than 5% last year.  Among urban Chinese respondents, nearly 35% said they’ve watched TV on tablets, compared to some 20% last year.  Interestingly, the steepest growth was in Russia, where nearly 15% said they’ve watched TV on tablets, compared to less than 5% last year.

Worldwide, some 12% of respondents said they’ve viewed TV content on tablets, which is up more than 200% over last year.

The fastest growing region for tablet usage in general is Turkey, where tablet penetration has reached 16.5% in 2012—up from 3.1% in 2011.

“While the trends vary by region, it is evident that consumers around the globe are watching more video and TV content with their portable electronic devices as these provide additional means of accessing content,” said Riddhi Patel, Research Director of Consumer Insights for NPD DisplaySearch, in a statement. “Despite this increase, however, TVs still remain the primary device of choice for viewing TV content, with 30% of consumers reporting that they view TV/video content on TVs alone.”

While tablets are growing in popularity for TV watching, PCs remain the primary alternative for TV watching, with more than 40% of respondents saying they’ve watched TV and video content on their desktop and laptop computers, while slightly more than 20% said they’ve watched TV on their smartphones.

The news follows a survey released Tuesday by TechBargains.com that found that among those who have completely abandoned cable and satellite subscription services, a full 30% said they wouldn’t go back regardless of price.

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