Gen Z abandons broadcast TV as streaming dominates

A recent study by Ofcom has revealed a significant shift in media consumption habits among younger generations, with less than half of 16-24-year-olds now watching broadcast TV in an average week. This marks a historic low and signals a dramatic change in how younger audiences consume content.

According to Ofcom’s annual study on the nation’s media habits, only 48% of young audiences tuned in to broadcast TV in an average week last year, a sharp decline from 76% in 2018. The trend is similar among children aged 4-15, with only 55% watching broadcast TV each week in 2023, compared to 81% in 2018.

The decline is not limited to Gen Z and younger. Middle-aged viewers (45-54) have also seen an accelerated drop in broadcast TV viewership, falling from 89% to 84% in a single year. However, older audiences aged 65 and above remain loyal to traditional TV, with around 95% continuing to tune in weekly.

Not only are younger viewers watching broadcast TV less frequently, but they’re also spending significantly less time doing so. 16-24-year-olds watch an average of just 33 minutes of broadcast TV daily, with a mere 20 minutes devoted to live TV. In contrast, they spend three times as long (1 hour 33 minutes) on video-sharing platforms like TikTok and YouTube.

Ian Macrae, Ofcom’s Director of Market Intelligence, commented: “Gen Z and Alpha are used to swiping and streaming, not flipping through broadcast TV channels. They crave the flexibility, immediacy and choice that on-demand services offer, spending over three hours a day watching video, but only 20 minutes of live TV.”

Despite the overall decline in traditional TV viewership, the total time spent watching TV and video content at home increased in 2023, averaging 4 hours and 31 minutes per day. This growth was primarily driven by increased viewing on video-sharing platforms and broadcasters’ video-on-demand services.

The TV set remains central to household viewing, accounting for 84% of TV and video content watched at home in 2023. Interestingly, TV screens are becoming more popular for watching YouTube content, with 34% of YouTube viewing time at home now occurring on a TV set, up from 29% in 2022.

While live broadcast TV may be losing its grip on younger audiences, it still plays a crucial role in capturing national and international events. The most-watched programmes of 2023 included the New Year’s Eve Fireworks (12.1 million viewers), The Coronation of The King and Queen Camilla (12 million viewers), and the Eurovision Song Contest (10.1 million viewers).

Macrae added, “While live TV may not have the universal pull it once did, its role in capturing those big moments that bring the nation together remains vital.”

In contrast to the decline in traditional TV viewership, radio listening has hit a 20-year high.

The first quarter of 2024 saw the highest number of weekly radio listeners across all devices in the past two decades, with just under 50 million tuning in. Commercial radio has been particularly successful in attracting new audiences, with over 70% of people aged 15 and above listening to commercial stations at least once a week.

As media consumption habits continue to evolve, it’s clear that broadcasters and content creators must adapt to the changing preferences of younger audiences.

(Photo by Aleks Dorohovich)

See also: Ofcom tightens rules to combat foreign scam calls

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Tags: broadcast, europe, gen z, ofcom, report, research, streaming, study, telecoms, tv, uk