Bangkok--22 Jul--TNS
- Three quarters of internet users globally still watch TV daily
- More than a quarter in Asia Pacific now watch online video daily on a digital devices
- Almost half of world internet users globally are ‘screen-stacking’ in the evening, Thailand is ahead of the curve as more than 3 in 5 of Thais (66%) engage in online activities while watching TV in the evening.
- A Thai internet user owns THREE digital devices in average
- Majority, 85%, of Thais remain hooked on TV every day while 11% of Thais having new habit of watching content on a PC, laptop, tablet or mobile daily
- World Cup is the recent stimulation for multi-screening habit globally.
Adults around the world remain hooked on TV but the consumption habits of content-hungry viewers are changing rapidly, according to global research consultancy TNS. While our love affair with television endures, TV sets alone are no longer enough to satisfy our appetite for content, driving the growth of online media and ‘screen-stacking’ as a result.
In Connected Life, a study of over 55,000 internet users worldwide, TNS found that almost half of people (48%) who watch TV in the evening simultaneously engage in other digital activities, such as using social media, checking their emails or shopping online. APAC is ahead of this trend, with 54% of people across the region taking part in ‘screen-stacking’ activities, such as using social media, checking their emails or shopping online whilst watching TV. This varies across the region, peaking at 79% in Japan and coming in at just 37% in China whilst Thailand is in the high rank group since the survey found that 66% of Thais taking part in ‘screen-stacking’ activities.
Mr. Joe Webb, Head of Digital, TNS Asia Pacific says “This constant connectivity across multiple devices has come to the fore during the FIFA World Cup in recent weeks. People the world over are engaging with the event in various ways across different devices – watching it on TV, tablet or mobile, whilst also engaging in conversations on social media. It’s a perfect example of how screen-stacking behaviour has really taken hold.”
The survey found that we own approximately four digital devices each; this is just three across Asia Pacific, same as the respondents in Thailand which holds three same as the regional average, but rises to five among respondents in Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Taiwan. This, combined with demand for TV and video content on-the-go, is fuelling the rise of multi-screening or ‘screen-stacking’ – the use of multiple digital devices at the same time.
The desire to access our favourite TV shows at all hours of the day is also driving online TV usage, which extends our access to them. One quarter (25%) of those surveyed now watch content on a PC, laptop, tablet or mobile daily. This rises to one third (33%) in mainland China and Singapore and 32% in Hong Kong, where 'phablets' are increasingly popular. For Thailand, this is reported at 11% which leads to such a huge gap for the market to grow.
Yet despite this surge in online consumption, traditional TV sets still play a huge part in our lives, with three quarters of respondents (75% globally, 73% in Asia Pacific and 85% in Thailand) sitting in front of the box every day.
Many of the big global media companies are already taking advantage of growing online viewing trends, offering on-demand services such as BBC iPlayer, Hulu or HBO GO, which allow people to access premium content wherever they are through their phones or tablets.
Webb continues, “It’s no surprise that we are seeing such a big trend towards screen-stacking in Asian markets – the appetite for online content is huge and growing all the time. However, TV does still have a role to play – particularly during dinner, when we don’t have hands free to navigate on other devices. Our attachment to the TV has been supported by the rise in digital set-top boxes TV, catch-up TV and on-demand services.”
He concludes, “What’s clear is that media multi-tasking is here to stay and the implications for advertisers are significant – there’s a real opportunity for those that understand how to really integrate their activity in our increasingly connected world.”