That’s just one data point in a fantastic study and analysis from Razorfish+Yahoo about the growing “second screen” opportunity. “A new imperative is clear, especially for those spending heavily on TV,” explains Razorfish’s Jeremy Lockhorn. “Content and experiences that move seamlessly from one screen to another are an absolute must.” Let’s break down some of best data from the study and then explore Lockhorn’s spot-on analysis:
– While 80% of mobile users multitask in front of TV, 70% say they multitask once a week, and 49% on a daily basis. More than 60% percent check their phones at least “once or twice” during a show with 15% active on their devices the entire time.
– 38% say their mobile activity enhances the broadcast, while another 38% say it’s distracting.
– The top 5 categories that attract multitaskers are reality shows, news, comedy, sports and food.
– 94% of mobile multitaskers communicate while watching TV, while 60% are looking up content. Of the communicators, the most popular activities in order are: texting, talking, email, social networking and IM.
– 44% of the content that multitaskers consume is unrelated to what’s on TV compared to 38% that’s related. 36% look up information about a commercial they just saw. Most multitasking activity, overall, happens during commercial breaks.
Razorfish’s Lockhorn says all these numbers add up to an immense second-screen opportunity. “This is bigger than simply having a mobile- or tablet-optimized Web site,” he explains. “It means a cohesive communications strategy where the spots and the experience on mobile devices work together and build toward a greater whole. It means a mobile-optimized site that knows what’s happening in the TV spots, and perhaps even what’s happening in the current program – especially if it’s live.”
We predicted a few months ago that social TV will be a multi-billion dollar business in large part powered by data — for the first time, devices shed light on what viewers are doing while enabling them to interact at scale. “Multitasking might finally kill (or at least reinvent) the GRP,” explains Lockhorn. “The same device that knows what people are watching and what people are surfing will soon know what they’re buying, creating the ideal closed loop for ROI-driven marketers.”