USA: Multi-screening on the rise

US consumers' preference for multi-screening is reshaping the way they consume media, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) has suggested.

The trade body, whose membership is made up of media owners, clients and agencies, has unveiled two new reports on media trends, commissioned from digital research firms comScore and Arbitron. Both studies indicated a general willingness among consumers to go online via their PCs, tablets and smartphones while watching TV.

Arbitron's study, taken during January 2012, indicates that just over one in three viewers use three screens – TV, PC and smartphone – to access video content or visit broadcasters' websites, while 92% use at least two screens.

In all, 84% accessed video via their PC and 43% used their mobile. Further, almost half (49%) used both TV and PC to view the content, with just 8% using only TV.

In terms of simultaneous video use, viewers revealed a preference for browsing "text-centric" sites, rather than video sites, while watching TV.

In all, 90% of respondents had accessed email, social media profiles or search engines while watching TV, compared to the 65% who accessed online video sites.