Video viewing in the United Kingdom rose by an average of 40 minutes per person per day in 2020. There was not a lot else to do. Average video viewing across all individuals was 5 hours and 16 minutes a day, of which 3 hours and 22 minutes was broadcaster programming. For those aged 16-34 it was 4 hours 54 minutes per day and broadcaster services contributed over a third of that. Broadcaster services accounted for over 90% of video advertising viewed across all individuals and 77% for those aged 16-34.
Broadcaster programming, including live, playback and online viewing, grew by 5% year on year. Average viewing across all individuals was 3 hours and 22 minutes, up by 10 minutes on the previous year.
Subscription video viewing time rose by 11 minutes to 35 minutes per day. That was a 50% increase on the previous year, although from a relatively small base.
Together, broadcaster programming and subscription video accounted for 75% of video viewing across all individuals, although it was only 56% for those aged 16-34.
YouTube apparently accounted for 41 minutes a day of video viewing across all individuals but for those aged 16-34 it was one hour 14 minutes, or a quarter of all video viewing.
TikTok accounted for 3.5% of all viewing time, rising to 9% of viewing by those aged 16-34 and 20% of their time spent with online video.
In case you are wondering, ‘adult’ online video was 2.6% of viewing among those aged 16-34. It was 2.8% across all individuals.
The numbers come from Thinkbox, based on data from BARB, comScore, Touchpoints, Rentrak box office data and Pornhub. They show that broadcaster television and video remain the main medium for audiovisual advertising, accounting for over 90% of video advertising time averaged across all individuals, or almost 18 minutes out of 19 minutes a day. Even among those aged 16-34, they account for 77% of video advertising time, at approaching 10 minutes out of 12.5 minutes a day.
YouTube accounted for an estimated 6% of audiovisual advertising time across all individuals, at about a minute a day. Across those aged 16-34 it was 16%, or about two minutes a day.
TikTok represented an estimated 5% of audiovisual advertising time among those aged 16-34, or about 40 seconds a day, although that is only an approximation, as Thinkbox is unable to measure it directly.
Thinkbox is owned by ITV, Sky, Channel 4 and UKTV, which together account for over 99% of all commercial television advertising revenue in the United Kingdom.