TV viewers stop channel surfing, stay loyal to favorites
Remember when TV watching used to be like this?
Apparently, TV viewers have stopped channel surfing, according to a recent study by Forrester and Simulmedia. The study has some interesting findings and insights into how people are watching television today. While Nielsen ratings for even top shows are down 25 percent over the previous five years, viewing per person has dropped only 15 percent, leading the researchers to conclude that “more shows are being viewed by the average viewer than five years ago.” In other words, viewers aren’t reducing the amount of TV they watch, they’re simply spreading their viewing time over more shows.
Another fascinating finding: the number of individual networks people watch has dropped, despite the fact that we have more channels than ever at our disposal. According to the study:
Most TV viewers watch only one or two networks each day. The number of people who only watch one network per day has doubled, while those watching two networks per day have almost doubled. The number of those watching three networks per day are up 50%.
Additionally, in looking at minute-by-minute viewing data, it’s clear that viewers aren’t channel surfing anymore. This suggests that people are finding the programs they want to watch, tuning into those shows, and sticking with those shows. That’s good news for advertisers, of course, as it would appear audiences are perhaps paying more attention during commercial breaks; they’re likely leaving the TV on and turning to their “2nd screen” to occupy them until the program returns.
That said, a separate study produced by PwC found that approximately 62 percent of TV viewers “struggle” to find something to watch on TV. As a result, they appear to be turning to streaming services, or at least something they’ve already seen. It seems that the recommendation engines as found on Netflix and other streaming services are extremely good at predicting what viewers will want to watch.
From our perspective, both of these studies reinforce the idea that while television advertising certainly has the broadest reach and impact available of any medium, it’s still essential for advertisers to understand what their audience likes. As mentioned above, it also represents an opportunity for advertisers to improve their brand recall, as it’s likely audiences are paying closer attention and not channel surfing away during commercial breaks (although they’re likely surfing Facebook or other social media sites). This strengthens the case for knowing your customers as well as possible, and using data to target appropriate content.
If you need help better targeting your customers, give us a call. We can help you better understand and reach the audiences that matter the most to your brand.