Commentary

Juggling Media

When it comes to the media universe, the abundance in devices, services and content has never been more prevalent.  With all of this technology at consumers’ fingertips, pretty much all of them are focused on “all of it”, says the report. According to the most recent Nielsen Total Audience Report, adults in the U.S. spent almost 10 and a half hours a day with media in the second quarter of 2018,

With the vast amount of time Americans spend using their devices throughout the day, it is inevitable that some of this usage is occurring simultaneously, says the report.

So even though these audiences are dedicating hefty amounts of time to different platforms

  • like live/time-shifted TV (nearly five hours per day),
  • radio (nearly two hours per day), and
  • digital devices (over three and a half hours per day),

According to a custom survey of Nielsen’s Media Enthusiast Community, when looking at the relationship between TV and digital platforms

  • 45% of respondents watched TV while using digital devices “very often” or “always,”
  • Nearly a third reported using both platforms “sometimes,”
  • while only 12% never use both at the same time.

Specifically, they’re using digital platforms in tandem with TV and audio to augment their overall experience.

According to the same survey, learning about the content they’re consuming is a popular action, with 71% of respondents having looked up information related to the TV content they were viewing and 51% doing the same for audio. Meanwhile, marketers and advertisers should be glad to know that

  • 35% of TV viewers
  • and 25% of audio listeners

have shopped for the products and services advertised on the main platform. 

With digital devices opening up channels of communication, it’s not all that surprising, says the report, that users are taking advantage of these features when consuming TV and audio content as well.

  • Nearly a third of respondents have emailed, texted or messaged others about the content they’re listening to
  • 20% have done the same on social media. And these communication behaviors are even more prevalent when consumers are watching TV, as
  • 41% of respondents emailed, texted or messaged others about the TV-content they viewed while
  • 28% wrote or read about it on social media. 

The second-quarter Nielsen Total Audience Report showed that the bevy of platforms available to consumers are shaping unique trends in audience behavior. Access and convenience are two of the key factors that determine when people consume media at different times, resulting in usage that is not uniformly distributed throughout the day.

In second-quarter 2018, U.S. adults spent more time on media overall from 9-10 p.m. than any other hour throughout the day, with nearly 38 out of a possible 60 minutes being spent across Live+time-shifted TV, TV-connected devices, radio and digital (computer, smartphone, tablet) during that time.

  • The 9 p.m. hour also seems to be the sweet spot for TV consumption, says the report, as both linear TV and TV-connected device usage peak at that time.
  • Consumers spend well over half of their media consumption for this hour watching linear TV and interacting with TV-connected devices.
  • While prime time shows the largest amount of time spent overall with media throughout the day, radio is at its strongest during traditional business hours.
  • Time spent listening to radio remains consistent throughout the morning and into the afternoon, peaks at 12 p.m., and then tapers off at night as consumers are likely settling into their homes after a long day at work.

Today’s media landscape is keeping consumers engaged on multiple fronts, concludes the report. Please visit here for the complete report.

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