Less than half of Generation Z watch broadcast TV

A recent report has revealed a significant change in the way young people consume television. For the first time, less than half of individuals aged 16 to 24 are watching traditional television on a weekly basis. According to Ofcom's annual Media Nations report, only 48% of young adults tuned in during an average week last year, a stark decline from 76% just five years prior in 2018. The report indicates that these young viewers spent an average of only 33 minutes each day watching traditional TV, which represents a 16% decrease compared to the previous year. This shift in viewing habits is not surprising, as young people are increasingly turning to video-sharing platforms like TikTok and YouTube, where they spend an average of 1 hour and 33 minutes daily. This trend highlights a clear preference for online content over traditional broadcasting. The decline in traditional TV viewership is not limited to just young adults. Children aged 4 to 15 are also moving away from traditional television, with only 55% watching it weekly last year, down from 81% in 2018. Additionally, there has been a noticeable decrease in viewership among middle-aged adults aged 45 to 54, dropping from 89% to 84% since 2023. Even among older viewers aged 65 to 75, there was a 5% decline in traditional TV consumption. Interestingly, the over-75 age group saw a slight increase in their traditional TV viewing, rising by 1% from the previous year. Overall, the total number of viewers dropped by 6% last year, although this decline was less severe than the 12% drop recorded in 2022. On a more positive note, radio listening has experienced a resurgence. The first quarter of 2024 marked the highest number of weekly radio listeners across all devices in the past 20 years, with just under 50 million people tuning in. The average listening time has also increased to 20. 5 hours per week. Much of this growth can be attributed to the success of commercial radio, with over 70% of individuals aged 15 and older listening to commercial stations at least once a week, compared to 55. 6% for BBC stations. Despite this, BBC Radio 2 remains the most popular radio station in the UK, although commercial radio listeners have a slightly lower average listening time each week, at 14. 0 hours compared to 14. 2 hours for BBC stations. The report also highlighted the most-watched television programs in 2023, which included the New Year's Eve Fireworks on BBC One, attracting 12. 1 million viewers, and the final episode of Happy Valley, which also garnered 12. 1 million viewers. Other popular shows included The Coronation of The King and Queen Camilla, the Eurovision Song Contest, and the finale of Strictly Come Dancing. In terms of music consumption, streaming has become the second most popular form of audio, with 50% of adults using services like Spotify each week. Music streaming now accounts for two-thirds of the total income for the record industry. Despite the decline in traditional television viewership, TV screens are becoming increasingly popular for watching YouTube content. The report indicates that 34% of the time spent watching YouTube at home is now on a television set, up from 29% in 2022. This figure rises to 45% among children aged 4 to 15, an increase from 36% in 2022. YouTube's total in-home usage grew to 38 minutes per person per day in 2023, reflecting a 20% increase year-on-year. Overall, UK viewers are watching more TV and video content at home, averaging 4 hours and 31 minutes a day, which is an increase of 6 minutes or 2% since 2022. This growth is primarily driven by an increase in daily viewing of video-sharing platforms, including YouTube, as well as broadcast video-on-demand services like iPlayer and ITVX, which saw a remarkable 29% growth in 2023. Subscription services have also seen an uptick in daily viewing, increasing by six minutes to an average of 38 minutes per day. Netflix continues to dominate the subscription video-on-demand market, accounting for half of all viewing in this category. However, the reach of these pay-for streaming services has plateaued, with approximately two-thirds of households (68%) using at least one service last year, similar to the figures from 2022. The subscription sector generated just under £4 billion in revenue last year, marking a 22% increase, largely driven by price hikes.