48% of Europeans use the internet while they watch TV

"What stands out in this research is how much of this ‘traditional’ media is now being consumed online.
91% of internet users read news online (388.5m) - men are more likely to be consumers of news online than women (93% vs. 89%) and 35-54 year olds are the most likely to read news online - at 93%
73% of internet users watch TV online (311.6m) - 16-24 year olds are the most likely to watch TV online - at 83% - closely followed by 35-44 year olds (81%)
67% of internet users listen to the radio online (286.0m) – this increases to 81% of 16-24s and men are more likely than women to listen to the radio online (68% vs. 66%)
The research shows that a staggering 48% of Europeans say they use the internet whilst they watch TV (297.4m) and 16% of all time spent watching TV in Europe is done whilst using the internet. Europe’s heaviest online/TV multi-taskers are the Norwegians at 70%, followed by 68% of TV watchers in France and 62% of those watching TV in the UK. The good news for advertisers is that one third (33%) of all TV and online multi-taskers say the online activity they’re doing is likely to be related to the TV programme they’re watching so there is a significant opportunity for brands to engage the consumer via both platforms.
Alison Fennah, Vice President of Research and Marketing for IAB Europe comments, “It’s no longer appropriate or sensible to think of ‘using the internet’ as a specific and isolated activity. The ever-wider variety of devices that people use to access online content and the degree to which they do this while using other media shows the deep level of engagement consumers have with the internet today. For instance, many Europeans are clearly using the web and watching TV simultaneously, and a third of those are actually consuming complementary content. Those companies that understand and adapt to these changing consumption patterns will be the ones that succeed in the future.” "

Source:  Press release from IAB Europe, 6th June 2012

Methodology:  "Conducted using a combination of online, telephone and face-to-face methodologies totalling over 50,000 interviews across 28 markets Mediascope Europe now ranks as one of the leading sources of data on European consumer use of media and online shopping habits."