SOURCE: Integrated Media Measurement Inc.

July 17, 2007 11:00 ET

Parents Set to Watch More Media Than Kids in 2007

Study Shows Parents Spending More Time in Front of the Tube, Watching DVDs and Going to the Movies Than Kids

SAN MATEO, CA--(Marketwire - July 17, 2007) - It may be the parents telling their kids to stop watching so much television, but it's the parents who are glued to their TV sets, according to results released today by Integrated Media Measurement Inc. (IMMI), a leading provider of consumer behavior data to media companies and advertisers.

The data, which was collected by monitoring actual individual behavior, shows that for the media being tracked, females ages 45-54 will spend the most time watching television, DVDs and theatrical releases in 2007, an estimated 47.6 days (1,142 hours). Males in the same age group are on track to watch 40.2 days worth of media. In the younger parental age group (35-44), females are predicted to watch 38.3 days of media, males 33.9 days.

Comparatively, teenagers 13-17 (male and female) are on track to spend a total of 33.35 days in 2007 watching television, playing DVDs and going to the movies.

"One of the key factors leading to adults watching more television than their kids are the other 'screen' options teens use with more comfort and regularity, such as computers, video games and iPods," said Amanda Welsh, head of research for IMMI. "Teens embrace new content delivery and entertainment technologies at a much faster pace than their parents, so we will naturally see a widening gap in the amount of television viewing time between the two groups."

The study was implemented through a research panel built by IMMI that mirrors U.S. Census results for fundamental demographics in key markets. IMMI provides thousands of panel members across the country with a mobile phone, asking them to carry it with them wherever they go. The mobile phone is equipped with a technology that creates digital signatures of all the audio media (television, radio and movies) to which it has been exposed. IMMI can determine viewing audiences, as well as certain types of consumer behavior based on a timeline of when the media was viewed or heard.

Integrated Media Measurement Inc. (IMMI) is the developer of an end-to-end media measurement system that links media exposure to consumer action. Using a mobile-phone-based digital monitoring system, IMMI tracks almost all media 24/7 and helps businesses evaluate the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns. IMMI is based in San Mateo, Calif. More information is available at www.immi.com.