Second screening is changing the way we engage with – and respond to – advertising, according to the latest data from GfK’s Connected Consumer research.

Almost two thirds (64%) of people have used a second device when watching TV. Of these second screeners, almost four in 10 (38%) would like TV ads to be targeted to them, and one quarter (24%) would like to be able to buy products they see advertised at the same time from another such as a smartphone or tablet. So what is our relationship with the second screen, and how might it change viewing and advertising?

Christine Connor, Research Director, Brand and Customer Experience says: “What’s fascinating from this research is the sheer pace and depth of change we’re seeing in TV consumption patterns over only 12 months. Second screening continues to grow, as does the use of catch up services which the majority of viewers now use. Appetite for targeted advertising and for ads to synchronize across all devices being used is growing and this looks set to have a major impact on the way people respond to ads, and the way advertisers and brands use TV to communicate their messages.”

10 Killer Facts about Second Screeners

1. Second screening is growing rapidly. Almost two thirds (64%) of people have used another device when watching TV
2. When asked what device accompanies them when watching TV, most common is a laptop/netbook  (61% up from 43% in 2013), followed by a smartphone (56% up from 40% in 2013), and then a tablet (31% up almost double from 16% in 2013)
3. Most people want to keep the activities on their different devices separate, only 20% would like the content being viewed on another device displayed on the TV screen
4. The relationship with TV advertising is changing: 39% of people agreed that they would like the TV to deliver adverts that match the types of programmes they watch. This is 12 percentage points higher than a year ago
5. One quarter (24%) would like to be able to buy products they see advertised on TV at the same time from another device, such as a smartphone or tablet. Figures are even higher for SVOD subscribers (41%) and 16-24 year olds (40%)
6. One in five (20%) would like the websites for products, personalities or adverts that have just been shown on television to appear on their computer/smartphone/tablet automatically so they don’t need to search for them online (up from 13% in 2013).
7. The explosion of catch up services means viewers are relaxed about missing broadcast TV: 86% agree it “matters little or not at all if I miss a programme that I want to watch”
8. The way people use catch up services is changing. Almost six in 10 (58%) watch ‘time-shifted’ programmes they have recorded on their television set, 18% watch them on a PC and 8% on tablet
9. This behaviour is markedly different when using free catch-up services from the broadcasters such as iPlayer and 4OD. Here the PC is almost as used at the TV: 46% watch on TV, 40% on a PC and 16% on tablet
10. Internet use on the main TV set is growing: it currently stands at 59% overall (across devices). In Sky TV households the reach is 69%. Of those with a smart TV set, almost half (47%) access the internet at least once a week from their TV set, with one in seven (14%) using these features daily.  A small proportion of smart TV owners (15%), have never accessed the internet from the TV set.