Australia: Traditional TV viewing on the rise
February 20, 2012
Even though Australian consumers are able to watch TV on an increasing variety of devices, television viewing has increased on conventional screens as well as on mobile devices and computers, according to the first comprehensive national multi-screen report compiled by audience measurement companies OzTAM, Nielsen and Regional TAM.
Traditional television viewing grew by four per cent in the 12 months to December 31, from 108.51 hours per person per month to 113.38 hours,.
OzTAM CEO Doug Peiffer observed that television usage was still increasing, and other devices were adding to viewing rather than taking over.
The number of households with personal video recorders rose dramatically, from 33 per cent in a year to 44 per cent by the end of 2011. Nevertheless, most television is still watched live: only falling from 95 per cent to 93 per cent by December 31.
Despite half of all Australians over the age of 14 owning a smart phone, the findings suggest that video consumption remained small on that platform, with most people still preferring to watch video on the largest screen possible. While 10 per cent of households have a tablet such as an iPad, watching video on tablets is done by only five per cent of the online population.
Peiffer suggested that while viewing was increasing, it was spread across more channels, giving people more choice and adding more viewing on other devices such as smart phones and tablets.
The total amount of video watched on new technology – such as personal video recorders, Internet-delivered video, tablets and smart phones – accounts for just four per cent of total viewing, suggests the report. People are watching three hours and 27 minutes per month of video on their personal computers and one hour, 20 minutes per month on their mobiles.