Australian Broadcast TV Viewing Remains Strong, Though Slipping

The Q1 2017 Australian Video Viewing Report finds that television remains by far the most-watched screen in Australia, though it is seeing an accelerating decline.

The report—which includes figures from Regional TAM, OzTAM and Nielsen—reveals that 19.9 million Australians (83.7 percent of the population in people-metered markets) watch some broadcast TV (free-to-air and subscription channels) on in-home TV sets each week. In Q1 2017, Australians watched an average of 79 hours and 30 minutes (79:30) of broadcast TV on in-home TV sets per person each month—this is down from 85:20 reported in the same quarter a year ago. Within this, 89.1 percent (70:52) was watched live-to-air, 8.9 percent (7:04) was played back within 7 days, and 1.9 percent (1:33) was time-shifted between 8 and 28 days of the original broadcast.

Total TV screen use in the first quarter was 111:03, compared with 117:30 in Q1 2016.

In Q1 2017, Australians spent 28 percent of their time with their TV sets across the day doing something other than watching live or playing back broadcast TV within 28 days. In prime time, the proportion of this other TV screen use was 25 percent.

Between 1 and 2 percent of all broadcast TV content viewed each week takes place on connected devices.

Tony Hogarth, Regional TAM’s chairman and the general manager of Prime Television, said: “This Q1 2017 Australian Video Viewing Report is the natural evolution of the Australian Multi Screen Report, providing a simplified framework whilst maintaining the core measurement metrics of past reports. With the increased viewing options and platforms available the in-home television set is still the most popular choice, with broadcast television reaching 83.7 percent of Australians weekly. Regional Australians, in particular, spend just over 87 hours watching broadcast television on average each month, which is almost eight hours more than the national average.”

Craig Johnson, the regional managing director for media at Nielsen, said: “As we move through 2017 we’ve continued to see growth of Australians aged 18 to 24 engaging with video content online. This is certainly reflected in video viewing on mobile devices with this group now spending more than nine hours a month watching video via a smartphone—making them the biggest consumers of mobile video content. Content providers and advertisers need to be flexible with their approaches in order to reach consumers where they are, and on any screen size they choose for that moment.”

OzTAM CEO Doug Peiffer said: “The Q1 2017 Australian Video Viewing Report confirms Australians’ huge appetite for video. As people embrace device and platform choice, for some these new options actually create more time to stay up to date with their favorite TV programs or watch other video—for example, while commuting or taking a few minutes out during their lunch break. Although connected screens and endless content options contribute to the gradual decline in the time people spend watching live and time-shifted TV, particularly for younger viewers, nearly all Australians watch broadcast TV each week. On average across the total population, TV remains the most-watched screen.”