40 Ads Per Person Watched Every Day in The UK
Thinkbox has today announced that total commercial TV impacts for Q1 2008 have grown 7% on the same quarter last year, according to the latest figures from BARB.
This follows a pattern of growth that has seen total Q1 impacts grow by 13% over the past five years, with impacts for 16-34s growing by 18% during the same period.
Thinkbox reports that the strong Q1 showing follows commercial TV’s good performance in 2007, when impacts reached an all time high with an increase of 3.9% versus 2006 – a growth of 11% since 2003. 2.25 billion TV ads are currently watched every day in the UK, an average of 40 ads a day per person.
BARB’s latest figures show that all the key audiences for advertisers experienced significant increases in Q1 commercial impacts. Impacts for 16-34s increased by 3% and ABC1s experienced a 9% uplift. Impacts for the 16-24 audience remained stable.
People in the UK watched an average of 2.5 hours of commercial TV every day in Q1, a 4% increase on the five year average for the quarter. Total broadcast viewing (including BBC) enjoyed a marginal increase to 3.96 hours a day. BARB figures do not yet include the additional platforms for watching TV such as the internet or mobile phones, nor the increasing levels of out-of home broadcast viewing.
Thinkbox attributes the increase in commercial TV impacts and viewing in part to further digital TV penetration (now at 87.6% of homes) and the increased viewing to digital channels. Recent research by Thinkbox has shown that the wider choice of TV options that comes with digital TV and its technologies leads to an increase in TV viewing. As the remaining households convert to digital, commercial TV’s market share should grow further.
Commercial broadcast TV’s monthly reach remains largely unchanged at almost 98% despite the fact that the total TV audience is now spread across more channels than ever before.
Tess Alps, Thinkbox’s chief executive, said: “2007 was a very strong year for TV advertising and 2008 is, remarkably, building on this, beginning the year with some very impressive growth.
“People are watching more TV ads than ever which is encouraging news for advertisers at a time when all types of investment are being examined and when there is so much reporting about TV that is frankly just wrong. Our message to advertisers is simple: TV is more effective than ever and is proven to be the single most effective way of building and maintaining your brand and bottom line. Use it.”