Commercial TV viewing hits a new high
Commercial broadcast television viewing had a record first six months of 2009, according to new figures from BARB.
The average viewer in the UK is now watching 16.7 hours of commercial television every week, which is up by almost 10 minutes on the record set during the same period last year.
The figures, which were published in Thinkbox’s Half Year Review, show that commercial television accounted for more than 63% (26.2 hours a week) of all TV viewing between January to June this year, a 3.2% rise over the last five years.
Tess Alps, Thinkbox’s chief executive, said: “In January we said the record broadcast viewing levels set last year couldn’t continue, but – astonishingly – they have.
“New TV technologies – like digital television recorders and high definition TVs – and the variety of great content available are helping to make TV an even better experience. They are magnetising our viewing to the attractive screens in our living rooms.
“And online TV services are proving the perfect complement to broadcast TV as they lead viewers back into the broadcast stream.”
BARB figures do not include viewing via online TV services or out of home viewing, however, Thinkbox believes the strength of broadcast viewing, and commercial viewing in particular, is “further proof that the growing popularity of on-demand online TV services such as the BBC’s iPlayer and IPTV services such as Virgin Media, is incremental to broadcast TV, not a substitute”.
The increase in commercial viewing has also meant a rise in the number of ads people watch.
Commercial impacts in the first half of the year – the number of ads watched at normal speed – were up 2% on the same period last year and 16% over the last five years with the average viewer now watching 43 ads a day.
Alps added: “Record viewing is of course great for advertisers and the smartest are taking advantage of this, running longer time-lengths than normal, adding bursts or bringing smaller brands onto TV.
“TV advertising creates more profit than any other medium and people spend more time with TV than with any other medium. The strength and popularity of commercial TV are beyond dispute and advertisers can reap the benefits from investing in a growing medium that offers proven effectiveness and increasing value.”
Thinkbox said there are a number of factors contributing to the continued growth of linear TV, including Digital Television Recorders (DTRs), digital broadcast television, on-demand online viewing, better programming and the economic downturn – as people are staying in more and taking advantage of the free entertainment.