Freesat Reveals U.K.’s “Joy of Sets”

LONDON: Television is having a larger influence on the lives of people in Britain than ever before, according to a new study from Freesat, which also reveals that the biggest motivation for watching TV is the chance to talk about it with others.

According to the Joy of Sets study, done in collaboration with media psychologist Dr. Brian Young, more than one-third (37 percent) of people spend up to five hours a week talking about their favorite TV programs with friends. Proportionally, men spend more time talking about TV than women.

The study also revealed that TV is changing people’s lives in the U.K: 80 percent of respondents said that TV programs have inspired them to take up a new hobby, 85 percent have been influenced to travel to different parts of the world, and 55 percent have considered a career change. It also plays a role in relationships, as 20 percent of men say they’ve found a new dating partner thanks to shared interest in television.

Catch-up TV services and PVRs are having a positive influence on people’s lives as well. The study reports that 75 percent of people agree that these new time-shifting devices have allowed them to have more active social lives.

Most parents (62 percent) say they allow their children to watch between one and three hours of TV per day. Nearly half of which admit that the number is more than they watched as kids.

The economy has also played a factor in TV viewing in the U.K. Nearly one-third (28 percent) of people say the tough economic times have resulted in them watching up to 50-percent more TV.

Freesat’s Managing Director, Emma Scott, said: “Freesat now provides subscription free satellite TV to one and a half million customers so it is important that we gain a greater understanding of the power of what people are watching. The influence of TV is greater than ever, and with that comes a greater responsibility on broadcasters and TV services to provide quality programming and choice that viewers don’t have to pay a high price for, particularly in these tough economic times.”