comScore study:
Blurring the Landscape: How TV is Merging Digital and Traditional Media
ARF Presentation March 24, 2010

Key points from the ARF presentation:

• TV will continue to be important.
• Television programming is no longer a show on a given channel in a specific timeslot. Now it can be recorded, fast-forwarded, shared, tagged, rated, re-uploaded, mashed up and tweeted about.
• 60-70% of all audiences watch commercials whether they are watching on TV or online.
• The vast majority of TV viewers (65%) are TV-only, 29% are cross platform viewers and 6% are online-only viewers.
• This is not a platform war. Online tools enhance the TV viewers experience.
• All other things being equal, audiences prefer to watch content on TV.
• The motivations for cross-platform viewing involve freedom in space and time vs. timeliness and quality.
• Television dominates as the preferred screen because it offers the best overall viewing experience: picture and sound quality, and popular first-run programs.
• Online TV is largely valued for its what I want, when I want it attributes.
• Like the power windows on a car, cross-platform viewing is seen as a feature of modern TV.
• The majority of cross-platform TV viewers (71%) go online because they missed an episode on TV; 57% do so for the convenience.
• Online viewership extends a programs audience reach. Better late than never.
• Discovery of new TV shows largely comes form TV advertising. Social networks, family and friend recommendations, and online video sites are also vital sources.
• Multiple advertising and reach channels are becoming influential not just for cross-platform viewers, but also for those who tune in live or shortly thereafter: 12% of TV viewers who typically tune in live believe that if they had not discovered a TV program online, they would not have otherwise tuned in.
• Social networking works in harmony with other advertising channels to enable new TV program discovery.
• 50% of those who discovered their favourite TV show via outdoor advertising also cited social networking as how they first heard of a favourite TV program.
• Online discovery is important. 20% of shows regularly watched have been viewed online first. 28% of viewers feel that if they had not found the show online they would have been missed the show altogether.
• Cross-platform viewers watch more than those that tune in on TV only. 80% of cross-platform viewers also viewed at least one additional program online in the past week.
• Out of online-only TV viewers only 9.5% do not have a TV in the household, and 57% have two or more TVs.
• Online-only TV viewers skew towards 18-24 and 25-35 demos. Likely because these years can be very transient for young adults and they do not have their own households set up yet.
• Among online-only TV viewers, they do so largely for the convenience - 64% of online-only viewers watch 'whenever they have a spare moment.' 40% don't subscribe to TV or don't have a TV.

In Conclusion:

• TV remains the platform of choice.
• Audiences are increasingly connected and will use the online tools they have to remain engaged with their favourite programs.
• Convenience and catch-up, not ad avoidance, are the key motivators of cross-platform viewing.
• Cross-platform TV viewing extends and builds reach while keeping audiences engaged with TV.

Click here to view the full comScore presentation