New report reveals viewing on a TV set an 'and' not an 'or'

The death of print media and television has long been a topic of speculation but, according to Kantar Media's new DIMENSION study, traditional media isn't dying any time soon.

by Helen Leggatt

A survey of more than 5,000 "connected adults" from five countries (U.S., U.K., Brazil, China, and France) for Kantar Media's DIMENSION study reveals that, despite accessing online media several times a day, they are also viewing, listening to and reading traditional media via their established formats.

Nearly all (97%) of those surveyed said they watch television on a television set.

"This is not to suggest that our sample never view TV on any other device," says Kantar Media. "73% of them say they view TV online and 70% of them do so via a mobile device, but they also still access the medium through the TV set. It's an 'and' not an 'or'."

The picture is similar for print media. While circulation and readership numbers confirm that print formats are read a lot less frequently these days, they still attract substantial audiences.

Eighty-three percent of respondents said they read news and articles in printed newspapers, while 84% read magazines in print.

"These consumers are however also accessing news and articles online," added Kantar Media. "Indeed, 93% read articles online and 84% on mobile devices - an indication of the ubiquity of smartphones and of their growing importance to advertisers."