Older Viewers Embrace Multi-Channel Television
The viewing habits of older consumers look set to change considerably over the next few years as they continue to embrace multi-channel television, according to new research from ZenithOptimedia.
The wide-ranging study into the media consumption habits of the over fifties shows that golden oldies are emerging as enthusiastic consumers of multi-channel television thanks to the increasing popularity of the BBC-backed Freeview service.
ZenithOptimedia found that last year 56% of people aged between 50 and 59 received multi-channel television, higher than the national average of 54%. However the proportion dropped to 45% of people in their sixties and 29% of people in the seventies.
The study claims that older viewers will watch much more multi-channel television over the next few years, in a development that looks set to damage the traditional popularity among the over fifties of terrestrial programming on the BBC, ITV and Channel 4.
The research shows that older viewers are particularly keen on the recently launched Freeview digital terrestrial service, which is now the fastest growing multi-channel platform in the UK. Around 40% of Freeview customers are aged over 55, compared with just 20% of Sky’s customer base.
Uptake of Freeview is expected to continue apace over the next few years and ZenithOptimedia claims this could change the television landscape. The study says: “The popularity of Freeview is likely to increase the popularity of multi-channel television among older viewers quite rapidly.”
The average person was found to watch three hours and 46 minutes of television a day, based on a national study of viewing habits in the first five months of this year. Older people are famously heavy consumers of television and those aged fifty and over average four hours and 57 minutes a day.
In the first five months of this year commercial channels were found to have a 63% share of all adult viewers. This figure was 62% for people in their fifties, 57% for those in the sixties and 52% for viewers aged seventy and above.
People over fifty generally tended to like the same television programmes as those below that age, with the favourites emerging as Heartbeat and A Touch of Frost. However one big exception was I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, which was less popular among the over fifties.
It was recently suggested that advertisers may need to change the way they target older consumers following a study which shows that people aged over fifty have as disparate and unpredictable lifestyles as younger generations. The research carried out by OMD UK shows the over fifties are all too often written off as a homogenous and less vibrant group, who have already made the majority of their lifestyle choices (see Research Claims Over Fifties Are Young At Heart).
ZenithOptimedia: 020 7224 8500 www.zenithoptimedia.com
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