Just 55% of UK viewers watch TV exclusively on a TV set

Just 55% of UK TV viewers claim they only ever watch TV on a TV set, as more people tune in on tablets and laptops, according to new research by Ipsos MORI.

The ‘TV Nation’ research, carried out by IpsosMedia for TV body Thinkbox, found that even though BARB data indicates 98.2% of TV viewing takes place on a TV set, just over half claim they only ever watch their TV set.

Some 17% claim they watch TV on tablets, up from just 5% of the UK in 2012. Viewing on laptops has also gone up slightly, climbing from 22% in 2012 to 23% in 2014.

“This suggests tablets may soon overtake laptops as the preferred second screen for TV viewing,” according to the research.

However, 88% said that the TV set provided the best viewing experience.

Asked what proportion of their TV viewing they thought was live, linear broadcasts, on average people claimed 57%. This was considerably below BARB’s estimated UK average of 88%.

“This research explains how TV is changing but also, importantly how the fundamentals remain the same. It shows how the TV set in the living room remains at the centre of our viewing and the human desire to live in the moment, to belong and to share experiences is reflected in the continuing dominance of live TV,” claimed Nicole Greenfield-Smith, research controller at Thinkbox.

The research was based on 1,010 face-to-face interviews conducted in the UK.