Less Than Half of Young People Watch Live TV Weekly: Ofcom
TV screens are increasingly popular for watching YouTube content, while Netflix remains the top choice for video-on-demand services.
According to the UK communications watchdog, less than half of young people are tuning in to live television each week.
An annual study by Ofcom revealed a significant decrease in the weekly reach of traditional TV in 2023.
Only 48 percent of viewers aged 16 to 24 watched TV broadcasts in the past year, down from 76 percent in 2018. Among children aged 4-15, the figure dropped from 81 percent six years ago to 55 percent.
Young individuals are also spending less time watching live TV, with an average of only 20 minutes per day, compared to over three times as long on TikTok and YouTube.
More viewers are now using TV screens to watch YouTube content, with the percentage rising from 29 percent in 2022 to 34 percent in 2023.
For children aged 4-15, this percentage increased to 45 percent in 2023 from 36 percent the previous year.
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Viewers stated that YouTube offers content appealing to various audiences and easy-to-navigate services.
Overall, Britons spent more time watching TV and video content at home in 2023, including platforms like TikTok, YouTube, iPlayer, and ITVX.
According to Ian Macrae, Director of Market Intelligence at Ofcom, younger generations prefer on-demand services like YouTube over traditional TV for their flexibility, immediacy, and choice.
While live TV might no longer have the same appeal, it remains important for broadcasting significant events that unite the nation.
Some of the most-watched programmes in 2023 included the New Year’s Eve Fireworks, The Coronation of The King and Queen Camilla, and the Eurovision Song Contest.
The UEFA Euro 2024 men’s football final between England and Spain on July 14 was the most-watched event of 2024 so far, with over 15 million viewers.
Video-On-Demand
Video-on-demand services saw a slight increase last year, with viewers aged 16-34 leading in subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) content consumption.
In 2023, Netflix remained the top choice for SVoD services, with Britons watching it for an average of 21 minutes per day.
Reasons for subscribing to Netflix and other SVoD platforms included exclusive content and the ability to binge-watch multiple episodes.
The top three most-watched SVoD programmes in 2023 were “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget,” “Elemental,” and the first episode of “Beckham.”
Subscription to SVoD services in UK households returned to peak levels in 2023, with 68 percent of households subscribed.
Ofcom also reported on how young people consume news, with platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram being popular sources.
While one in 10 teenagers consider TikTok their main news source, the BBC still holds the highest reach among teens for news content.
