Brits actively surf the web while viewing TV

LONDON - Britain is a nation of interactive TV users, with much of the population going online while watching TV rather than viewing passively.

Nearly 70 per cent (69 per cent) of British adults who watch television go online while doing so, while 21 per cent of 16-24 year olds always surf the web while watching television.

According to video search engine blinkx, which conducted the research, adults are more likely to search for products which appear in the television show they are watching (30 per cent) than for products advertised during programming (27 per cent).

The research reveals a healthy appetite for full-length film, TV shows and sporting events online, with 19 per cent of adults typically watching such content online.

The most popular types of online content are news (27 per cent) and comedy (22 per cent).

Harris Interactive conducted the research on behalf of blinkx, surveying more than 2,000 adults both in the United States and in Britain.

"It's interesting to see that internet surfing is now challenging the way we watch television," said Suranga Chandratillake, founder and CEO, blinkx.

"The UK no longer wants to be a nation of passive viewers. They want to find out as much information as possible, and want to discover this through the internet at the same time as they are watching the content on the television."

Published by: Hayley Pinkerfield

Published 27th March, 2008

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