Younger viewers (age 16-34), however, watched more non-broadcast than broadcast content – an average of 2 hours 37 minutes a day (54%) across all devices, compared with 2 hours 11 minutes (46%) respectively.
The majority of this daily viewing (three hours 33 minutes or 71%) was to broadcast television, with the remainder (one hour 28 minutes or 29%) to non-broadcast content, such as YouTube and subscription on-demand services, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. The Media Nations report also shows how increased take-up of superfast broadband and connected televisions is driving changes in how people watch TV.Īcross all devices, the UK’s total television and audio-visual daily viewing in 2017 reached five hours and one minute.
Television and online video revenues in 2017Īverage minutes of daily broadcast TV viewing on the TV set, by age By making the best British programmes and working together to reach people who are turning away from TV, our broadcasters can compete in the digital age.” “But UK broadcasters have a history of adapting to change. These challenges cannot be underestimated. “We have seen a decline in revenues for pay TV, a fall in spending on new programmes by our public service broadcasters, and the growth of global video streaming giants. Sharon White, Ofcom’s Chief Executive, said: “Today’s research finds that what we watch and how we watch it are changing rapidly, which has profound implications for UK television. However, among 16 to 34-year-olds, total daily viewing time in 2017 was 4 hours 48 minutes, of which less than half (two hours 11 minutes or 46%) was to broadcast content, while just under an hour per day was spent watching content on YouTube. Total daily viewing time across all devices stands at 5 hours one minute, of which two-thirds (three hours 33 minutes or 71%) was to broadcast content, and 1 hour 28 minutes to non-broadcast content. Among children and viewers aged 16 to 34, declines were steeper, leading to the over-65s watching four times as much broadcast television as children in 2017.
Broadcast TV viewing declines… The amount of time spent watching broadcast television on the TV set has continued to decline and, in 2017, stood at an average of 3 hours 23 minutes a day, down nine minutes (4.2%) on 2016, and 38 minutes (15.7%) since 2012.An increase in funding from third parties towards the cost of programme-making (from £147m in 2008 to £338m in 2017 across the BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5) has partly helped to mitigate this decline. The BBC, ITV Channel 4 and Channel 5’s £2.5bn combined network spending on original UK-made programmes in 2017 represents a record low – and is £1bn (28%) less than the 2004 peak of £3.4bn. Meanwhile, television advertising income fell by 7%, to £3.9bn In contrast, the increasing number of streaming subscriptions contributed to a 25% growth in online audio-visual revenues, to £2.3bn in 2017. Pay TV revenue declines for first time Following a period of sustained growth, the UK’s pay TV providers saw a 2.7% decrease in total revenue last year to £6.4bn.The total number of UK subscriptions to the three most popular online streaming services – Netflix, Amazon Prime and Sky’s Now TV – reached 15.4 million in Q1 2018, overtaking, for the first time, the number of pay TV subscriptions, at 15.1 million and With more choice for viewers than ever before, UK broadcasters are competing for viewers in an increasingly fragmented landscape. The report highlights a competitive shift within the UK television industry, driven by the rise of the major global internet companies and the changing habits and preferences of UK audiences. The findings are part of Ofcom’s Media Nations report, a comprehensive study of major trends in the UK’s television, radio and audio sectors, published today. At the same time, people are spending less time watching television: average daily broadcast viewing on the television set fell by nine minutes in 2017 – and is down 38 minutes since 2012. Spending by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, on new UK-made television programmes fell to a 20-year low. The amount of revenue generated from pay TV has also fallen for the first time, after a period of sustained growth, new research from Ofcom finds. The number of UK subscriptions to television streaming services like Netflix has overtaken those to traditional pay television for the first time, marking a major shift in the UK’s viewing habits. In music, streaming revenues now outstrip physical sales.Broadcast TV remains popular, but viewing among 16 to 34-year-olds is moving online.Pay TV revenues decline for first time, after a period of sustained growth.There are now more UK subscriptions to Netflix, Amazon and NOW TV than to ‘traditional’ pay TV services.