Over the last few years, there has been a lot of debate around whether “TV is dying”, but contrary to this discussion people are still watching considerable sums of TV. Thinkbox recently published their 2018 “A year in TV” report and it is a true testament that this unbeatable medium is still thriving. That said, the changing media landscape is no secret, nor is the fragmentation of TV viewing, but if we stop for a second and examine the evidence; we’ll realise it’s definitely not all doom and gloom, as it’s often made out to be. When TV began in earnest, it was part of a radical shift in how we lived, and along the way TV displaced things. So, through this report we further observe how this shift has evolved and the key strengths behind TV’s resilience:
- 2018 TV ad revenue in the UK totalled £5.11 billion – flat year-on-year (YOY) which is no mean feat considering the economic backdrop
- TV remains the most popular form of video accounting for 69% of all video viewing (that is a little less than in 2017), but with broadcast video on demand (BVOD) and subscription video on demand (SVOD) services taking a little away from live TV’s overall share of video
- TV time accounts for 37% of the average adult’s media day. Considering not all media time is advertising time; TV is still a large chunk vs. online time (which is a mix of activities, some largely without advertising i.e. 12% messaging) but is often overlooked
- Also, worth noting that even though almost half of individuals have a SVOD subscription. Analysis of Netflix viewers shows even the heaviest viewers of the platform still enjoy plenty of broadcaster TV. In fact, only the heaviest 20% of Netflix viewers watch more Netflix than broadcast TV. For most viewers, SVOD services are used to further complement existing TV and BVOD services.
All Response Media viewpoint
Despite a decade of disruption, TV viewing remains resilient, cost effective and a scalable medium upon which performance campaigns can thrive effectively. Whilst BVOD and SVOD services have taken some share, we must bear in mind that the majority of viewing is still watched live (especially during daytime).
Here at All Response Media, we urge everyone to take a step back and look at the details and context., The above is just a snapshot of what is remarkable stability during unprecedented times, so it would definitely be worthwhile reading through the full report.
