In a year dramatically impacted by the economic recession, consumers have returned to in-home entertainment, showing increased interest in watching television over other types of entertainment.

Deloitte's 2009 State of the Media Democracy survey reveals a 26 per cent increase in the number of Americans choosing the TV as their favorite type of media as compared to the previous year. Here are some of the highlights:

• More than 70 per cent of survey respondents rank watching TV in their top three favorite media activities. And, when ranked alongside activities such as surfing the Web, listening to music or reading, 34 per cent of consumers place it at the top of the list. This is a substantial increase from last year and more than double the per cent selecting the number two choice, the Internet, which came in at 14 per cent.
• Americans still love the TV set in the living room. When watching their favorite TV programming, 86 per cent of survey respondents prefer watching on their television set, enjoying the programming either live, via their DVR/TiVo, or using an "On Demand" feature. While less than 10 per cent of Americans say they prefer watching the same content online, a growing number of consumers are using online platforms to watch their favorite TV shows.
• Consumers are watching more TV than they did last year, up two hours to nearly 18 hours of television programming on their home TV in a typical seven day week. Viewers, (14-26 year olds) had the largest increase, to almost 15 hours from 10.5 hours.
• Potentially foreshadowing an increasingly central role for the television, 65 per cent of respondents would like to be able to easily connect their home TV to the Internet so that they can view videos or downloaded content. This is a significant trend that has gained strength over the last three years.

"Television content continues to fascinate Americans," said Ed Moran, Deloitte director of insights and innovation.

"The recession has increased demand for in-home entertainment, with consumers choosing to invest in the enhancement of their TV experience. This dynamic, combined with new flat panel models that access content from the Internet, will further blur the lines between TV and the Internet."

• Television continues to reign as the most influential advertising medium, with 83 per cent of consumers identifying TV advertising as one of the top three media with the most impact on their buying decisions. Online advertising ranks much lower in impact than television. Less than half of those surveyed identify online advertising, which includes banner and video ads, search engine result ads and pop-ups, amongst the top three.
• The ability of ads on websites to move traffic to other sites has dropped from 72 per cent to 59 per cent over the past three surveys. Moreover, respondents articulate a decreased inclination to click on more Internet ads, even if the ads are targeted to their needs. Those who say they would click on more Internet ads if they were targeted to their needs fell from 66 per cent in the 2007 edition of the survey to 50 per cent in the current edition.
• While current online advertising is still effective, survey findings point to a significant opportunity for advertisers to take advantage of social tools and engage the consumer in a more impactful new way.
• Over half of all U.S. consumers and 69 per cent of Millennials (14-26 year olds) believe that online customer reviews and ratings influence their buying decisions more than any other type of online advertising, and 51 per cent have purchased products based on an online recommendation. In fact, 24 per cent of U.S. consumers would like to have an online service that recommends a product based on other consumers' preferences.
• According to the survey, one-quarter of U.S. consumers are socializing online almost every day and nearly 60 per cent currently maintain a social networking site, up from 48 per cent last year. The connections maintained over social networks provide powerful sources for trusted recommendations.

About the Survey

Deloitte's multi-national fourth edition of the State of the Media Democracy Survey provides a generational "reality check" on how consumers are interacting with technology, purchasing products, and responding to advertising - and what they want in the future.

Deloitte's fourth edition State of the Media Democracy Survey was architected by Deloitte's Media and Entertainment practice and conducted by Harrison Group, an independent research company, between September 11 and October 13, 2009.

The online survey polled 2,046 consumers between the ages of 14 and 75 in the United States. The survey results have a margin of error of plus or minus five per centage points.

For more information on Deloitte's State of Media Democracy Survey, please visit http://www.deloitte.com/us/mediademocracy.