Majority Of U.S. Consumers watch TV and access the Internet at the Same Time.

Nearly 60 percent of U.S. consumers still prefer to watch their favorite shows and video programming on their TVs, but they also want their smart phones and tablets by their side so they can be online and multitask, according to the KPMG International 2013 Digital Debate survey, which polled more than 1,000 consumers in the U.S. and 9,000 globally

In the U.S., 42 percent of consumers polled say they watch TV and access the internet via a laptop or PC, while 17 percent watch TV and access the internet via a smartphone. The study also found that 22 percent watch TV and use a social networking site at the same time

While traditional media is still most popular with consumers for viewing video programming, the study revealed that in the U.S., 14 percent of those polled prefer to watch TV via their mobile or tablet for greater flexibility. This is largely attributed to the emerging wave of mobile-centric consumers (25-34 years old).

“The move to digital has had a dramatic impact on how we consume music, publishing and newspapers. But we are still early in the process of a transition to digital anytime-anywhere availability across all media sectors,” said Paul Wissmann, national leader of KPMG’s U.S. Media & Telecommunications practice.

“The introduction of smart TVs is an indication of how the digital transition is accelerating to coincide with the demand of today’s consumers to access anything, anywhere and at anytime. The smart TV is beginning to reveal itself as the next disruptor,” Wissmann said.

Some of the key highlights of the survey include:

In the U.S.:

40 percent own or intend to own a smartphone in the next 12 months, compared to 53 percent globally

26 percent own or plan to purchase a tablet over the next 12 months, which is the same percentage globally

Spending for online media increased in the past year. For every type of digital media, more respondents increased their spend than decreased it

Traditional media spend still is strong in the U.S., especially for TV

Globally:

Urban consumers in China, Brazil and Singapore are proving to be the world’s most voracious users of digital media, powered by the rapid uptake of smartphones and tablets.

The new generation of mobile-centric consumers is getting its first media experience via mobile devices. This growing segment has a much greater preference for digital media, and the coming of next-generation, high-speed mobile networks will likely accelerate this trend.

Consumers across all markets spend a similar amount of time accessing media online as they do using traditional media.

For more information at http://www.kpmg.com