Bright Future For UK TV
The latest forecast from Attentional suggests that a number of factors will combine to offer a brighter than anticipated future for UK television over the next five years.
Attentional said that one factor behind this trend is the rapid conversion of older viewers to digital platforms, where the availability of extra channels means they tend to watch more television.
The digital conversion of younger viewers who have so far resisted taking up multichannel technologies is also playing a significant role.
The imminent prospect of analogue switch-off, combined with falling multichannel technology prices, means these trends are likely to continue.
The forecast finds growing evidence that the downward trend in average daily viewing time among young adults (16-34) has now levelled out.
Broadcasters are working very hard to attract and retain younger viewers, with strong online brand promotions (eg E4’s Skins), coupled with on-demand catch-up viewing helping to draw younger viewers to programmes they may otherwise have missed.
Overall, the forecasts suggest that the average daily viewing time of young adults will fall by 1%.
However, due to rising levels of immigration into the UK, the officially projected 5.5% increase in the number of adults aged 16-34 in the UK population results in a predicted 4.6% rise in total television viewing for this group by 2012.
The only demographic group for which a significant fall in total television viewing has been forecast is Children (4-15), where a continued (albeit slowing) fall in average daily viewing time, coupled with a declining population, is likely to result in a 4% decrease in total television viewing over the next five years.
A recently published study carried out by Simmons found that US consumers are 47% more engaged in ads that run with television programmes that they view online than those watched on a TV set.
The study also found that people are 18% more engaged in ads online, as opposed to print versions, of magazines, and that they are also 15% more engaged in magazine articles online than in print.
Meanwhile, research from the Nielsen Company revealed that younger adult viewers are two-and-a-half times more likely than older viewers to be technologically proactive in catching up on television shows they missed.
Attentional: www.attentional.com