MultiTasking Watchers Do TV and Web Simultaneously According to a 2002 survey of over 7,800 US consumers from BIGresearch, simultaneous media usage is a regular occurrence for roughly
50% of the US population. BIGresearch determined that 31% of female respondents say that when they are watching TV, they regularly go online, while 24.3% of men say the same. Additionally, 43% of
women say that they regularly watch TV when they are online, and 34.8% of male respondents say the same.
Dual Media Consumption in U.S. (% of respondents) “regularly or occasionally consume two
media at same time.” First, then..
| Men | Women |
| Go online and watch TV
| 59.8% | 67.2% |
| Watch TV and go online | 69.3 | 76.0 |
| Read newspaper and watch TV | 53.4 | 58.7 |
| Watch TV
and read newspaper | 66.7 | 74.3 |
| Listen to radio and read magazines | 50.7 | 52.0 |
| Read magazines and watch
TV | 50.4 | 60.0 |
Source: Retail Adv. and Mktg. Assoc/BIGresearch, Oct 2002
The study also determines that the prime time for watching TV and going online,
or the converse, is between 7:00 P.M. and 11 P.M. in the US. Specifically, the study found that during that time period:
69.4% watch TV 43.3% go online 22.3% read magazines.
Simultaneous media consumption is a reality in the US, and BIGresearch is not the only firm covering the numbers. In September 2002, comScore Media Metrix reported that in Q1 of this year, 47% of
people with a PC and TV in the same room say they "frequently" go online and watch TV at the same time.
US Internet Users Online and Watching TV Simultaneously (% users with PC and TV in same
room)
Frequently 47% Occasionally 29% Rarely 18% Never 5%
Source: ComScore Media Metrix For charts @ eMarketer