12% of the total U.S. population own or use a tablet, Expected to rise to 23% by early 2012

New York, NY − June 22, 2011 − Today, the Online Publishers Association (OPA) released a new study, “A Portrait of Today’s Tablet User,” that was commissioned to learn about consumer usage of tablets, content consumption preferences, and implications for advertising on the device. The study found that tablet users view tablets as their preferred reading device over computers and printed media for many types of content, including weather, entertainment, news, sports and financial information. A copy of the study’s findings is available at www.online-publishers.org.

The OPA collaborated with Frank N. Magid Associates., Inc. to conduct this study. Magid fielded a nationally representative online survey of 2,482 people, ages 8 to 64 years old, to evaluate the attitudes and behaviors of tablet owners and users between April 15 and April 20, 2011. The study found that 12% of today’s US online population (ages 8 to 64) currently owns or uses a tablet device and an incremental 11% intend to purchase a tablet device in the next 12 months.

“79% of app downloaders paid for content in the last year, which provides a great opportunity for publishers to generate new revenue streams,” said Pam Horan, President of the OPA. “The study also revealed that consumers prefer content bundling and payment options to buy content through a variety of sources including direct from publishers rather than only through app retail stores.”

Key findings from “A Portrait of Today’s Tablet User” include:

• Today’s tablet users represent 12% of the US internet population ages 8 – 64; that number is projected to grow to 23% by early 2012—a group that represents an estimated 54 million people
• 87% of tablet users are accessing content and information, the dominant activity for this device
• 93% of tablet users have downloaded apps; the average tablet user has downloaded 20 apps
• 79% of app downloaders have paid for apps in the last 12 months; 26% of all apps downloaded are paid
• On average, those who have downloaded apps on tablets have spent $53 on apps in the past 12 months
• In addition to iTunes, Amazon and Google, 29% of tablet users would prefer to buy apps from their cable company or internet provider and 25% would prefer to buy their apps directly from publishers

“The tablet also provides a rich platform for advertisers with 46% indicating that they found tablet advertising within newspaper and magazine apps to be relevant, unique and interesting,” continued Horan.

Additional insights regarding tablet users and usage preferences include:

• 60% of tablet users are males; 48% are 18-34 years old
• 43% of tablet users have HH income in excess of $50,000
• 56% of tablet users who watch video watch full-length TV and 55% watch full-length movies

To download the report, please click here.

About the OPA

Founded in June 2001, the Online Publishers Association is an industry trade organization whose mission is to advance the interests of high-quality online publishers before the advertising community, the press, the government and the public. Members of OPA represent the standards in Internet publishing with respect to editorial quality and integrity, credibility and accountability. OPA’s membership has an unduplicated audience of 172.5 million unique visitors or 83% reach of the U.S. online population (comScore Media Metrix, January 2010). For more information, visit www.online-publishers.org.

About Frank N. Magid Associates

Frank N. Magid Associates is a leading research-based strategic consulting firm that helps clients solve business problems and take advantage of opportunities. Magid brings unique frameworks for solving problems and seizing opportunities to each engagement, all informed and driven by unparalleled consumer and stakeholder research, market knowledge, and experience-based perspectives. For fifty-three years we have carefully studied human behavior and how communication affects it. This understanding provides us with a unique consumer lens through which we approach each engagement. Magid is particularly well-known in the media, communications and entertainment industries, but is increasingly conducting engagements across many non-media consumer-facing and B2B industries.