“Multi-screening” is happening all over Europe, and the latest statistics* — gathered in honor of E.U.’s sponsored World Television Day at the end of November — show viewers are using internet-connected second screens to complement TV more than ever. On the plus side, the marriage between TV and second screens could create opportunities for TV advertisers. (Although virtually ignored in the Americas, World Television Day was on November 21.)
Here are just some of the most recent findings by Platform or European Promotion of TV (PEPPTV), a group of broadcaster trade bodies and sales houses across the European Union:
- During peaktime viewing in the U.K., 74 percent claim to have picked up an internet-connected device during TV breaks, with little difference between age groups, social demographics or gender.
- The shows that attract the most social media commentary are sports and reality TV. The 2014 BRIT Awards inspired 4.2 million tweets about the show.
- 42 percent of French viewers, ages 15-60, say they’ve engaged with a TV show via a social network.
- 37 percent of the Swiss say it’s normal and commonplace to use the internet while watching TV.
- In Spain, 62 percent of people claimed in 2013 to use second screen while watching TV — an increase of 11 percentage points compared to the previous year.
- In Sweden, 55 percent of viewers have used another screen (smartphone, tablet or computer) while watching TV.
- In Poland, 33 percent of people have multi-screened and 49 percent of multi-screening activity is in order to look up content that’s related to what is being watched.
- In France, 8.5 percent of people (ages 15-and-up) claim to have commented on social media about a show they’re watching live on TV. In act, 15 percent o people ages 15-24 have commented on a show online.
What this means for advertisers:
People are more likely to stay in a room and less likely to change the channel if they’re multi-screening during ad times.
Research in the U.K. has found that multi-screening during ad breaks does not affect ad recall. People who multi-screen during TV breaks can, on average, recall two ads from the previous 15 minutes. Also, U.K research has found that TV advertising is responsible or 51 percent of the conversations about brands.
In Spain, 30 percent of users of social media platforms comment on TV advertising.
*Source: PEPPTV (Platform or European Promotion of TV)
