Broadcast Viewing Leads to Online Viewing, Says Digitas Study

Many watch broadcast TV while watching online video, study finds; half would watch videos from favorite celebs.

By Troy Dreier

A study commissioned by advertising agency Digitas shows that Americans watch online video while watching broadcast content on their televisions, and that broadcast content can lead viewers to online content.

The study of 2,211 adults was conducted by Harris Interactive and serves as a lead-in to the Digital Content NewFronts, a two-week season of presentations by online content creators for advertisers.

One of the more surprising findings is that 63 percent of adults said they had watched online video while watching broadcast content. Of those respondents, 27 percent watched content related to the show they were viewing, while 48 percent viewed unrelated content.

The study also charted the influence of popular shows and celebrities: 53 percent said that if a favorite celeb announced they were starring in or launching an online show, they would take a look, while 58 percent would watch exclusive online content from a favorite TV show.

Of adults who follow brands on social media, 58 percent of 18- to 44-years-olds would look at a video posted by those brands.

"Investing in online video is no longer optional. Consumers are hungry for online content and ready to take this journey with brands. And as the survey results show, today's viewer is not just passively sitting and watching -- they're sharing, talking, clicking, testing," says Stephanie Sarofian, managing director of The Third Act, the brand content unit of Digitas.