With vaccination drives making progress in the US and UK, and summer weather offering consumers distractions away from their living rooms, the high viewing figures we’ve seen for TV – both streaming and linear – are likely to dip.
This moment will provide an opportunity to find out whether more telly-watching has become a permanent habit or not for viewers, but it also poses a question to advertisers and brands using TV to reach the public: how do media equations change when consumers have somewhere else to go? How do you solve a problem like...captive TV audiences no longer being captive?
Emma Morris, head of investment and managing partner, Starcom
Don’t panic! Linear TV consumption will of course shift compared to 2020 as viewing levels return to pre-pandemic consumption. Consolidated TV viewing data since the opening of non-essential shops highlights this. When looking at April 12-15 2021 v the same period in 2020, it’s clear that the period from 6am-5.29pm has experienced the most decline since non-essential retail has reopened (Source: BARB -33.8% All Individuals). In comparison, total peak viewing has only reduced by 12%. This shouldn’t send shockwaves around the market as frankly the broadcasters have amazing content scheduled, with Love Island and the Euros returning to our screens to name just a few.
We do need to continue to constantly review consumption and adapt our AV plans to ensure that our campaigns reflect viewers' behavior at all times. Adapting the blends of linear v BVOD to flex with consumption habits is key, with All4 and SkyGo’s continued growth year-on-year being a great illustration of this. I don’t anticipate the recent changes to UK mobility to significantly shift this beyond pre-pandemic levels.
Read the full article in The Drum here.
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