According to Charley Shoemaker, Nielsen's director of product management, data from Nielsen's new convergence panel confirms that lots of people are indeed surfing the Web while watching broadcast TV:
"We see a very large percentage doing simultaneous Internet activity while they’re watching network TV." Although he said most of the people aren’t surfing content directly related to
the show they’re watching, the simple fact that they’re online suggests there is potential for cross-platform ad messaging, if certain technical issues are addressed -- for example (this
is just speculation, not based on anything Shoemaker said) by incorporating information on a household's TV viewing into online behavioral advertising. At the very least, the networks can use
real-time ad messaging and programming content to drive the Internet users to their online properties, or to related online content (for example fan club pages on social networks).
