Television programming still accounts for over three quarters of all video viewing in the United Kingdom. The average viewer watched a total of 4 hours 35 minutes of video a day in 2015, with television accounting for 3 hours 51 minutes of that. Television viewed at the time of transmission still accounts for over 60% of video viewing, or about 43% for those aged 16-24.
New figures show that the average television viewer in the United Kingdom watched a total of 3 hours, 51 minutes of television a day in 2015, 1% less than in 2014 but 5% more than in 2005. This figure, compiled by commercial television trade association Thinkbox, comprises all video viewing watched on any screen.
For the average viewer, 3 hours, 47 minutes of television a day is watched on a television set. Just 4 minutes is watched on other devices, such as tablets, smartphones and laptops.
Those aged 16-24 watched an average of 2 hours, 24 minutes a day of television in 2015, which breaks down as 2 hours 14 minutes a day watched on a television set and 10 minutes watched on other devices. This is 7% less than 2014 and 8% less than 2005. However, television remains by far the most popular form of video for this age group.
Previous television viewing data provided by Thinkbox has been based on BARB figures for viewing on a television set within 7 days of broadcast, together with streaming data from broadcasters for television viewing on other devices.
However, Thinkbox estimates that 6.5% of all television viewing in 2015 was outside this industry standard measure, rising to 14% among those aged 16-24.
According to a new Thinkbox analysis of video viewing, the total amount of video viewed in the United Kingdom has increased by an average of 15 minutes a day.
This is based on a combination of BARB and comScore data, information from broadcasters about online video streams, and Rentrak box office numbers, calibrated with IPA Touchpoints study.
Television programmes, viewed live, recorded or on-demand across all screens, accounted for 76% of all video viewing in 2015. Although the share is down from 81% in 2014, total video viewing has increased. In 2015, the average person in the UK watched just 3 minutes less television a day than in 2014.
YouTube has grown from 3.5% of video viewing in 2014 to 4.4% in 2015. Online ‘adult’ video accounts for a similar proportion. Subscription video-on-demand viewing, on services Netflix and Amazon Prime, has risen from 2.3% in 2014 to 4% of total video. Other online video viewing accounted for 5.8% of viewing.
Television programming still accounts for the majority of video viewing among those aged 16-24, representing 57% of the 3 hours 25 minutes of video a day they watched on average in 2015.
“These new figures show that TV dominates the video world for all age groups,” said Lindsey Clay, the chief executive of Thinkbox. “Today’s young people watch on-demand forms of video more than the generations before that didn’t grow up with them.”
“This makes sense as they do not tend to have control of the TV set and so turn to their personal screens to watch what they want,” she said. “What is remarkable is that in the last decade, when so many new technologies and services have arrived that could have disrupted TV, TV viewing has remained so dominant.”
The Thinkbox report, A year in TV: Annual review 2015, provides a useful survey of television and video viewing in the United Kingdom and is available from the Thinkbox web site.