Teens ‘Triple screen’ while watching TV

31% of “Online Australians” over the age of 16 say they have “Triple-Screened” their viewing: watching Television while they use two other screens such as a laptop, tablet or smartphones.

Laptop / notebook computers are most popular for multi-screens, followed by smartphones, desktop computers and then tablets. More than one third of multi-screeners say they do so daily and 85 per cent report doing so at least once a week. The practice is also highest amongst younger viewers than older.

But watching video is not amongst the most popular tasks on any of these screens, with popular tasks changing dependent on the device (and including outside of home use).

The data has been released in the latest Multi-Screen Report (Q1 2015) from Regional TAM, OzTAM and Nielsen (numbers and methodology have not been supplied -“Online Australians” refers to those already connected to internet).

Television viewing remains the dominant screen for video use, at an average of 89 hours and 28 minutes -a drop of nearly 10 hours since late 2012 (NB: TV viewing increases in winter months).

91.6% of all broadcast TV viewing is Live, down from 93% two years ago. Timeshifted viewing comprised 8.4% of viewing up from 7% in mid 2013.

88.4 per cent of all video viewing took place on TV sets. PC / Laptop follows at 6.9%.

Tablets in homes have tripled in three years, and internet-capable TVs have doubled in the same time.

Here are the results of the latest report:

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The latest Australian Multi-Screen Report – from Regional TAM, OzTAM and Nielsen, and covering the first quarter of calendar 2015 – explores household take-up of new screen technologies and trends in how major age groups view broadcast television and other video across multiple screens.

It also presents new findings about Australians’ claimed use of and attitudes towards various screen types: the devices they prefer to use for different activities, and the extent to which they use more than one screen simultaneously (‘multi-screening’).

Among the key trends:
· Television is still dominant.

All age groups spend the majority of their viewing time watching broadcast television on in-home TV sets: across the population and screen types 88.4 per cent of all viewing takes place on the TV set.

In Q1 2015 Australians watched an average 89 hours and 28 minutes (89:28) of broadcast television – free-to-air and subscription channels – on in-home television sets each month (down from 93:16 in Q1 2014).

The average weekly reach however for Australian broadcast television was little changed on the same quarter of 2014 and 2013, at 88−89 per cent of the population.

22.158 million Australians watched broadcast television each month during Q1 2015.

· The way people use their television sets is changing.

The proportion of time spent viewing live television has dropped gradually in each of the past five years, while playback viewing through the TV set within seven days of original broadcast continues to rise.

Even so, 91.6 per cent of all broadcast TV viewed on television sets is still watched at the time of original broadcast (live-to-air).

Meanwhile an increasing proportion of the time people spend with the TV now goes to activities other than watching broadcast television. This other TV screen use follows the take-up of internet-capable or ‘smart’ TVs – now in nearly one third of homes – along with growth in viewing of TV content between 8 and 28 days from original (live) broadcast.

For example, in the four-week period 22 February – 21 March 2015 this 8-28 day playback viewing (which does not appear in the playback figures within OzTAM and Regional TAM Consolidated data) accounted for 1.66 per cent of all TV viewing time across the day (up from 1.06 per cent in the same four-week period a year ago).

· Australians’ use of connected mobile devices to watch video is growing but remains relatively small.

Across the population as a whole watching video is not the primary activity Australians undertake on their mobile screens. 11.6 per cent of all video viewing – both broadcast and non-broadcast content – happens on screens other than the TV.

Viewing habits are evolving though, with people under age 35 in particular increasingly using internet-connected devices to watch video.

TECHNOLOGY IN AUSTRALIAN HOME

Smartphones have the fastest adoption rate: 77 per cent of Australians aged 16+ now own one, up from 69 per cent a year ago.

The rate at which households are introducing internet-capable TVs and tablets is slowing, now in 30 per cent and 47 per cent of homes, respectively.

Household personal video recorder (PVR) penetration has levelled off at 56 per cent.

TIME SPENT VIEWING ON TELEVISIONS AND OTHER DEVICES

As Australians adopt new screens and technologies they have more choice as to what, when, where and how they watch TV and other video.

This in turn affects the time people spend with these devices.

Viewing habits are changing – notably with younger audiences who increasingly use internet-connected devices to watch TV and other video. People of all ages however still spend the majority of their viewing time watching broadcast television on in-home TV sets.

SIMULTANEOUS SCREEN USE
Nielsen’s annual Australian Connected Consumers report shows 75 per cent of online Australians aged 16 and over say they ever ‘multi-screen’, that is, use an internet-connected device while watching television (74 per cent a year ago.)

Slightly more women say they have multi-screened than men (76 per cent compared to 73 per cent).

More than one third of multi-screeners say they do so daily and 85 per cent report doing so at least once a week.

31 per cent of online Australians aged 16+ say they ‘triple-screen’ – up from 26 per cent the previous year.

Across the population people who multi-screen say they most often use their laptop/notebook computers for this activity, followed by smartphones, desktop computers and then tablets. Laptops are still dominant but mobile devices are now the second most used, in the past year overtaking the desktop PC.

The activities people most often undertake on various devices differ and reflect both screen size and where the devices are used.

For example the desktop or laptop computer are used at home and are still where much online access takes place. Smartphone use however reflects the fact they are most often used outside the home. People also use their smartphones to check social media more often than on other devices.

Tablet activities are closer to those on desktop/laptops, as they too are widely used in the home. However search plays a more important role on tablets, along with updating or browsing social media and watching online video.

EVOLVING VIEWING PATTERNS BY AGE GROUP

The trends evident in recent years persist.

For example while people aged 50+ watch the most TV on TV sets the time they spend watching any video on connected devices is increasing. And Australians under age 24 spend more than 50 per cent of their total viewing time watching broadcast television on TV sets even though they are the heaviest viewers of video on connected devices.

Some of the more interesting trends include:

Kids
· Kids watch more broadcast television than teens and 18-24s, and watch more video on the internet than their 16-17 pear-old counterparts, adding an additional 1:03 per month doing so year-on-year.

(Note: multi-screening habits and top activities by connected device are available for audiences aged 16 and above).

16-17 year-olds
· 92 per cent of online 16-17 year-olds say they ever multi-screen: the highest of any age group.

· They most often use their smartphones when multi-screening, followed by laptops and desktops. Conducting a search and accessing social media are the top activities they use their smartphones for, then getting directions and emailing.

· Watching online video is the number one activity they use tablets for, third most common on computers and seventh on smartphones.

18-24 year-olds
· 89 per cent of online 18-24s say they ever multi-screen, with smartphones their preferred multi-screening device.

· Email and getting directions/maps are the most common online activities they claim to use their smartphones for; search on tablets and computers.

· Watching online video is now 18-24s’ third most common activity on computers, second on tablets and eighth on smartphones.

25-34 year-olds
· 90 per cent of online 25-34s report ever multi-screening, with 84 per cent saying they do so at least monthly.

· 25-34s say they use smartphones most often to multi-screen, with laptops close behind. Desktops follow with tablets becoming increasingly popular.

· Watching online video is their second most common activity on tablets, seventh on desktops/laptops and tenth on smartphones.

35-49 year-olds
· 82 per cent of online 35-49s say they ever multi-screen and 74 per cent say they do so at least monthly, which is stable year-on-year.

· 35-49s use their laptops most often to multi-screen, followed by smartphones; desktops and tablets are almost on par as the third most-used.

· Watching online video is 35-49s’ seventh most common self-reported activity on tablets, tenth on desktops/laptops and eleventh on smartphones.

50-64 year-olds
· 65 per cent of online Australians aged 50-64 report ever multi-screening – down slightly from 68 per cent a year ago.

· Laptops are 50-64s’ key multi-screening device, followed by desktops, tablets and then the smartphone.

· Watching online video is 50-64s’ ninth most common self-reported activity on tablets, eleventh on computers, and twelfth on smartphones.

People 65+
· 49 per cent of online Australians aged 65 and over say they have ever multi-screened – the lowest percentage of any major age group.

· When they do multi-screen people 65+ use traditional computers most often, followed by tablets then smartphones.

· Viewing online video is their twelfth most common activity on smartphones, and eleventh on computers and tablets.

Regional TAM Chair and NBN Television CEO Deborah Wright commented: “The review of playback viewing beyond seven days that is featured within this latest Multi-Screen Report shows us that more Australians are viewing broadcast television content outside the seven-day window compared to previous years. Regional Australian households continue to consume more ‘live’ television than the national average but they have also shown growth year on year in the 8-28 day playback segment.”

OzTAM CEO Doug Peiffer said: “Australians now have a remarkable range of options for watching their favourite television programs. Overall, nine in ten people watch broadcast TV each week, averaging nearly three hours of ‘traditional’ TV viewing per day across the population. We continue to see Australians spend a little less time at the ‘full buffet’ of live linear television and a little more time viewing ‘a la carte’, watching their favourite TV shows when they want. Also, there is an increase in time shift viewing beyond seven days, as reported in this quarter. We’ll continue to keep an eye on this evolving behaviour.”

Craig Johnson, Head of Nielsen’s Reach Solutions, Southeast Asia, North Asia and Pacific said: “People are continuing to evolve the way they consume media and are leveraging technology more, and, in increasingly varied ways. The TV screen remains the core of this consumption and a key vehicle for advertisers to reach consumers. Playback continues to grow as does delayed viewing with an increase in 8-28 days, showing that people are more prepared than ever to watch content at their own convenience.”

SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS: Q1 (JANUARY – MARCH) 2015:
· Australians watch on average 89 hours and 28 minutes (89:28) of broadcast TV on traditional television sets per month[1] (year-on-year down 3:48 per month).

· 91.6% of all broadcast TV viewing is live (81:57) with playback of broadcast content through the TV set within seven days of original broadcast comprising 8.4% (7:31 per month, up 16 minutes/month YOY).

· 22.158 million Australians watch broadcast television each month, with average weekly reach at 88-89% of the population.

· 100% of Australian television homes can access digital terrestrial television (DTT) channels. 96% can do so on every working household TV set.

· 56% of homes have PVRs; 15% have two or more (Q1 2014: 54%; 14%).

· 30% of homes have internet-capable TVs, whether connected or not (Q1 2014: 27%).

· 47% of homes have tablets (level with Q4 2014, and up from 42% in Q1 2014).

· 77% of Australians aged 16+ own a smartphone (69% in Q1 2014).

· Household internet penetration is stable at 80%.

· Australians spend on average 35:51 per month online[2] (38:41 in Q1 2014).

· 13.343 million Australians watch some video on the internet each month (including broadcast TV and non-broadcast content): an average of 6:57 per month (down 51 minutes from 7:48 a year ago).

Such viewing is highest among people aged 18-24 (11:11 per month)[3].

· 88.4% of all video viewing[4] – across all screens, and including broadcast and non-broadcast content – is on the traditional TV set[5]:

o 89:28 per month on the TV set (88.4%)
o 6:57 per month online via PCs/laptops (6.9%)
o 2:47 per month on smartphones (2.7%)[6]
o 2:03 per month on tablets (2%)[7]

Sources: Regional TAM, OzTAM, Nielsen.