Survey Finds Online Video Users Multitask

A new survey finds that while most American Internet users access online video, tons of people are using the Internet while watching television.

A new survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of online video search service blinx finds that while onlien video is a hit with American Internet users, those same users typically aren’t choosing to surf the Web or watch television: instead, they’re doing both at the same time.

Harris Interactive put their online survey before a weighted cross section of 2,471 U.S. adults and 2,228 residents of Great Britain aged 16 years or older from February 13–18. The survey found that some 78 percent of adults who watch television report using the Web while watching television—and over a third (35 percent) report doing it often or always. In a finding that may be welcome news to advertisers, some 62 percent report they surf Internet content related to what they’re watching on television, and some 40 percent look for products or services that appeared in the program they were watching, or which were advertised in it.

And when it comes to online video, these viewers prefer full-length TV shows, movies, or sporting events almost two to one over user-generated content (25 percent to 13 percent, respectively).

Harris refers to watch-and-surf types as “double-dippers,” but within that group, Harris found an age-based distinction between “typers” and “talkers.” Generally, older respondents are more likely to talk about TV content in person, rather than talk about it online via chat rooms, instant messaging, email, or other online channels.

Blinx also announced new content partnerships today with CBS, the BBC, and the Weather Channel, meaning those networks’ video offerings will be indexed by the blinx video search service.