How Smartphones Changed TV
Advertisers used to use TV commercial breaks to capture viewers’ attention in-between their favorite episodes. Their only competition? A bathroom break, or maybe a quick snack in the kitchen. Today, advertising isn’t so easy. More and more viewers aren’t watching just one screen, but two. In fact, four in ten adults view a second screen while they watch TV. That statistic with children increases to almost seven in ten in householders with children who are under age 18.
What is this second screen? A second screen can be a tablet, computer, smartphone, or other digital device. Around 65 percent of these people are using their second screen to view websites. Meanwhile, others are using this screen to tune in to TV in new ways, like looking up information on their T-Mobile iPhone 6 Plus about the actors or the show’s history online. Advertisers today must be savvy about capturing this new demographic of second screen users. Consumers can now enjoy their favorite programs in new ways, and advertisers have to be attuned to them. From apps that enhance live programs, to synchronized ads that advertise products on more than one screen, there are tons of new ways to create and consume media.
The second screen experience is continuing to expand the way in which people consume media, and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon. Learn more about this phenomenon with the infographic below.