Ofcom study: kids topping up live TV with online clips

A new study from Ofcom has revealed how children are topping up traditional live TV viewing by watching online video clips and catch-up TV.

The research shows that older children, aged 11-15, are watching half the amount of live TV per day as adults – 1 hour 32 minutes versus 2 hours 58 minutes.

In contrast, older children are spending six times longer than adults watching short online video clips on sites such as YouTube and Vimeo (33 minutes versus 5 minutes).

The research, which asked children aged 6-15 to complete a diary of their media and communications habits, also shows that 45% of 11-15 year olds watch online video clips on websites every week compared with 20% of adults.

Children aged 11-15 watch a similar amount of free on-demand TV as adults each day (13 minutes versus 12 minutes). However, a greater proportion of adults are likely to watch such services each week (38% compared with 26% of 11-15 year olds).

The study also found that nearly all UK adults reported watching live TV every week over the course of a week (94%), compared with just over three-quarters (78%) of children aged 11-15 and 90% of 6-11 year olds.

View the full report here.