Time spent in front of the television is on the rise in Australia, but it’s not traditional TV viewing that is driving screen time.

Australians are watching an average 96 hours and 37 minutes of broadcast TV per month, according to the quarter two 2013 Multi-Screen Report.

Playback viewing and using the TV for gaming and online activities continue to rise, driving overall time with the TV up as the number of internet connected TVs grow.

Connected TVs are now in 22% of homes, up from 16% in quarter 2 2012.

Live TV viewing dominates TV time, representing 92% with playback viewing  within seven days of broadcast at 7 hours and 46 minutes.

Tablets are now in 33% of homes, up from 19% in Q2 last year with 50 minutes per month spent watching videos on tablets among the online population aged 16 and over.

Online video consumption on smartphones is now at one hour and 20 minutes while six hours and 26 minutes is the average time per month spent watching internet videos on PCs and laptops, including TV and non-broadcast content.

Erica Boyd, senior vice president Cross-Platform Nielsen, SEANAP, said: “The latest Multi-Screen Report underscores Australians’ seemingly endless demand for compelling content. Not only do we watch more than three hours of ‘traditional’ TV a day – a level that hasn’t changed over the past five years – but internet-enabled TVs and mobile devices provide more opportunity to consume TV and other video content than ever before. Nielsen, OzTAM and Regional TAM will continue to track Australians’ evolving viewing habits to provide an even better picture of how Australians engage with various screens.”