Video Audience Data Released

Media Vision Research Limited has released research into the profile and viewing habits of the rental video audience. Called MarketTrak, the service uses data from the BARB panel, and provides data by film genre.

The viewing of pre-recorded video now accounts for 4% of all viewing, and nearly 7% of all commercial viewing. Videos are watched by predominantly young audiences, and often up-market.

Video viewing by demongraphic group shows that unsurprisingly video viewing is dominated by 16-24 and 25-34 year olds, 10-15 year olds are also a significant part of the viewing audience. Between them these three groups account for nearly 60% of all video viewing. The social class split is far less pronounced than would have been expected; ABC1’s take 43% of all video viewing, with an index of 96; C2DEs index at 103. There is no strong regional bias either; although overall viewers in the North are more likely to watch video than viewers in the South, the divide is not as pronounced as expected. Video viewing in Meridian and London is as strong relative to the population as it is in Granada and Tyne Tees. Of all TV regions, STV and HTV have the highest number of video viewers.

SHARE OF VIDEO VIEWING BY GENRE – MAR-AUG’94

When the viewing by genre is analysed, it is interesting to note that the viewing of comedies is more closely aligned to the traditional picture of the video consumer, with strong perfomances from C1/C2s and viewers in the North. Drama however, has a Southern bias, preferred by viewers in London and the South East.

VIDEO VIEWING IN LONDON BY GENRE –

Viewing preferences also change as the audience gets older; 16-24s are more likely to have a preference for Horror, Sci-Fi and Action, and 25-34s prefer Drama and Action.

For further information contact Marcus Lee-Steere: MVR 071 287 1140