How COVID-19 Has Changed Our TV Habits for 2021
How has the pandemic and restrictions changed the way we watch television? Check out this informative article to learn about today’s TV habits!
As we head to a new normal, it isn’t a surprise that more and more people turn to television for their comfort and entertainment during these difficult times. After all, with the new restrictions that have us stay at home, television provides us the comfort and familiarity we crave for.
Because of all these changes, our TV habits have changed drastically. How, exactly? Read on to find out!
The Changes in Our TV Habits This 2021
Here are the ways the pandemic has changed the way we watch television today and this 2021:
1. People Watch More During Weekdays
As mentioned, there are now higher TV viewing levels because of the restrictions and social distancing. There are even more people being available to sit down and watch TV. In Spain, viewers spent around 100 minutes longer watching TV compared to pre-lockdown.
Furthermore, there have been increases in TV viewing in Latin America, the Philippines, and Norway.
2. Younger Audiences Drive the Increase of Viewing
Because of school closures, there is a drastic increase in viewership with younger audiences compared to older ones. For instance, in China, viewing in children under 14 years old has risen to 19% in the first 11 weeks of 2020. For young adults between 15-34 years old, television viewership has increased to 27%.
3. The Boom of Video Streaming Platforms
The Nielsen’s Streaming Meter reported a huge increase in video streaming usage in the second quarter of 2020. This trend isn’t about to change anytime soon, especially with new products like MAG520w3 making video streaming easier.
Based on over-the-top capable homes, video streaming accounted for 25% of total TV viewing minutes. This is up compared to 19% from the fourth quarter of 2019.
To put it in minutes, the weekly time spent video streaming in the second quarter of 2020 was 142.5 billion minutes. This is a significant increase from 81.7 billion minutes in 2019.
4. The Boom of News
The Nielsen report has also suggested that home news consumption has grown in the second quarter of 2020, which is also not about to change soon. With all the television sets on during the day, along with breaking news, the news is actually the most popular TV genre amid the pandemic.
In China, time spent watching the news doubled in 2020. In Spain, it experienced a whopping 3.6x increase in viewing the news when the government announced the national lockdown.
The next popular genres were comedy (as an escape from recent happenings), movies, and dramas.
Wrapping It Up
Based on studies, our TV viewership has significantly increased. There are now more of us watching the news to stay informed about the pandemic and lockdowns. As restrictions and lockdowns continue, our TV habits of 2020 will most likely be picked up this 2021 and beyond.
If you would like to mention more facts on our ever-changing TV habits, do share them in the comments section below.