TV viewing via PC, tablet on the increase, says study

The number of people in the UK who watch television via a PC or tablet has increased over the past year, but viewing via smartphones remains low, according to new data.

A tracking study run by official TV audience measurement body BARB revealed that 15% of respondents claimed to have watched TV via a PC, laptop or tablet in November 2011, up from 14% at the same time in the previous year. The figure also showed strong growth on the 11% in November 2009.

BARB found that just 3% of people claimed to have watched TV via a mobile phone in November last year, although that was up from 2% in November 2010.

Conducted twice a year, the BARB tracking study is designed to follow the changing viewing trends outside of the traditional 'overnights' figures which cover TV viewing on the main set around the linear schedule.

The proportion of adults claiming to have ever watched TV programmes via a PC, laptop or tablet computer was 36% in November last year, while 7% had watched TV on their mobile phone.

BARB found that growth in viewing on alternative screens is strongest among 15 to 34-year-olds, including 6% of this age group claiming to use their mobile phone to watch TV, up from 4% in November 2010.

Mobile phone TV viewing is expected to increase further in the next BARB tracking study as the BBC launched the iPlayer catch-up platform on Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch last month, introducing 3G streaming to the service.

In June 2011, BARB introduced a new measurement system that more accurately monitored television viewing on PCs, laptops and tablet computers.

The web TV viewing meter is scheduled to extend to 1,100 homes on the BARB panel during 2012, when an estimated 2,500 people will take part in the measurement process.

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