According to the NPD Group, tablets, especially for younger owners, are an extension of the TV viewing experience. The research house says 56% of U.S. tablet owners age 18-34 use their tablet for activities related to the TV program they are watching or for other programming related activities, compared to 41% among all tablet owners age 18 and older.
The top three TV-related tablet activities among Millennials are; searching for programing to watch (34%), social media engagement related to a TV program (31%) and learning more about the program they are viewing (30%). Even more tablet owners age 18-34 say they want to use their device in conjunction with TV viewing in the future, and social media is a driving factor. Among Millennial tablet owners, 44% said they would consider using their device in the future for social media activity related to a TV program making it the No. 1 way this age group wants to engage while watching TV.
Tablets are being used as a TV companion in U.S. Internet homes where viewers are more likely to watch children's, family, music, and premium cable networks.