According to an ITC survey of broadband cable homes, cable and satellite channels have re-gained audience share previously lost to ITV, with share of viewing increasing from 35.3% in October 1991 to 38.6% in October 1992. During the same period ITV’s share fell 3.4% points to 30.5%.
The most popular cable and satellite channel in 1992 was Sky One , achieving an overall viewing share of 10.5%, an increase of 2.6% over the year. Sky One also achieved highest reach in homes able to receive the channel (51.9%). The second most popular channel was Sky Sports increasing its share of viewing from 3.1% in 1991 to 5.6% in 1992. In homes which subscribe to the service share of viewing has increased from 3.1% to 5.6% in October 1991/2. The introduction of subscription and the Premier League football coverage must account for some of the growth.
Gains by Sky One and Sky Sports would seem to be at the expense of Sky Movies which in 1992 only achieved a 8.5% share of viewing amongst individuals -a drop of 3.1% on 1991 and 5.1% on 1990. Amongst homes able to receive Sky movie channels they achieved 17.7% of viewing, representing 42% of viewing to all cable and satellite channels, a drop of 6% points on 1991.
In terms of who watches what, the survey showed that AB viewers watched proportionately more of BBC 1 , BBC2, Channel 4 , Sky Sports, Sky News, CNN and Landscape, and less of ITV, Sky One, Sky Movies, Lifestyle and MTV . The opposite was true of DE viewers. Share of viewing is higher amongst men and children than women – 13.6% of male viewing is devoted to the sports channels, a 4% increase on 1991. The most popular channel amongst children is Sky One, accounting for almost a quarter of children’s total viewing – mainly a result of ‘Simpson Mania’.
The amount of viewing in broadband homes increased by 30 minutes in 1992. Viewing to cable and satellite channels increased by almost an hour in 1992, to an average of 9.7 hours a week.
Despite increases in viewing, levels of satisfaction with the channels have fallen. In 1991 9 out of 10 respondents were pleased with the service (91%), compared to only 8 out of 10 in 1992 (79.7%).
The research was carried out by Continental Research on behalf of the ITC between 12th and 25th October 1992. A total of 976 one week diaries were analysed from a representative sample of broadband cable viewers.
ITC: 071 584 7011
