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Edutainment or Escapism? - UK - August 2009

ISSUES IN THE MARKET
Main issues
Definitions
Abbreviations
FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
Choosing those ‘water cooler’ moments
Save Kids’ TV
Something for adult learners, too
MARKET IN BRIEF
Plotting the TV landscape
The recession is wide reaching
What are consumers watching?
Attitudes favour edutainment
Thoughts on kids’ TV
INTERNAL MARKET ENVIRONMENT
Key points
Long TV sessions diminishing
Figure 1: Time spent watching TV on an average weekday, 2004-08
Digital Britain report
TV equipment enjoys an upgrade
HDTV continues to grow
Nine in ten favour life-long learning
Figure 2: Agreement with lifestyle statements, 2004-08
BROADER MARKET ENVIRONMENT
Key points
Consumer expenditure contracts as recession bites
Figure 3: Trends in personal disposable income and consumer expenditure, 2004-14
One in five finding it difficult
Figure 4: Current feelings about household income, 2007 and 2008
Spending cutbacks and intentions
Figure 5: spending cutbacks and intentions, May 2009
Growing audience for kids’ TV
Figure 6: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, by gender, 2004-14
Seven in ten now online
Figure 7: British internet penetration at home/work/place of study or elsewhere, by gender, age, socio-economic group, region and working status, 2004-09
COMPETITIVE CONTEXT
Key points
At-home leisure thriving
Figure 8: Consumer expenditure on selected leisure goods and activities, 2003-08
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES IN THE MARKET
 EDUTAINMENT
Strengths
Edutainment popular with consumers
Main PSB channels have increased their factual output
Weaknesses
Vulnerable to cutbacks
May be considered dull
 ESCAPISM
Strengths
Popular with women and younger generations
A re-focusing on escapism from some broadcasters
Weaknesses
Attitudes not as positive as might be expected
Move away from escapism in other markets
THE TV MARKET
Key points
Multichannel TV penetration continues to grow
Figure 9: UK multichannel TV households, by platform, 2004-09
Freeview the most popular platform on all sets
Figure 10: Take-up by platform in all TV homes, Q1 2009
SEGMENT PERFORMANCE
Key points
BBC1 still the most popular channel
Figure 11: Monthly viewing summary, average weekly viewing per person, Jan-June 2008
Figure 12: Monthly viewing summary, average weekly viewing per person, July-Dec 08
Figure 13: Monthly viewing summary, average weekly viewing per person, Jan-Jun 2009
COMPANIES AND BRANDS
Key points
Widespread programming cuts as industry comes under pressure
Major investors in programming
Figure 14: Five main channels’ programme spend, by broadcaster, 2004-08
The BBC
Figure 15: BBC network television hours of output by genre, 2007/08 and 2008/09
ITV plc
Channel 4
WHO WATCHES WHAT AND WHEN?
Key points
Two thirds like to keep on top of news/current affairs
Figure 16: Type of TV programming watched all the time, June 2009
Younger generations just want a laugh
Women like a bit of drama
Soap operas are all or nothing
Figure 17: Type of TV programming watched occasionally, June 2009
Age and gender bias less apparent among occasional viewers
Reality TV and soap operas biggest turn-offs
Figure 18: Type of TV programming never watched, June 2009
Gender and age bias reappear
Younger viewers shy away from edutainment
Figure 19: Escapism and edutainment, by age and gender, June 2009
News/current affairs and documentaries/history go together
Figure 20: Most popular type of TV programming watched all the time, by type of TV programming watched all the time, June 2009
Quiz show viewers most enthusiastic
Figure 21: Next most popular type of TV programming watched all the time, by type of TV programming watched all the time, June 2009
WHY DO PEOPLE WATCH?
Key points
Attitudes towards TV
Figure 22: Attitudes towards type of TV programming watched, June 2009
Half of female respondents use TV to switch off
TV to help switch off and cheer up
Figure 23: Most popular attitudes towards type of TV programming watched, by attitudes towards type of TV programming watched, June 2009
Figure 24: Next most popular attitudes towards type of TV programming watched by attitudes towards type of TV programming watched, June 2009
Attitudes reflect viewing habits
Figure 25: Most popular attitudes towards type of TV programming watched, by type of TV programming watched all the time, June 2009
Figure 26: Next most popular attitudes towards type of TV programming watched, by type of TV programming watched all the time, June 2009
Occasional viewers less defined
Figure 27: Most popular attitudes towards type of TV programming watched, by type of TV programming watched occasionally, June 2009
Figure 28: Next most popular Attitudes towards type of TV programming watched, by type of TV programming watched occasionally, June 2009
Attitudes also reflect what is never watched
Figure 29: Most popular attitudes towards type of TV programming watched, by type of TV programming never watched, June 2009
Figure 30: Next most popular attitudes towards type of TV programming watched, by type of TV programming never watched, June 2009
PARENTAL ATTITUDES TOWARDS KIDS’ TV VIEWING
Key points
Watching edutainment encouraged by four in ten parents
Figure 31: Parental attitudes towards kids’ TV viewing, June 2009
Educational levels affect parental concern
Older children have greater freedom
Fewer TVs where advertising is limited
Figure 32: Most popular parental attitudes towards kids’ TV viewing, by parental attitudes towards kids’ TV viewing, June 2009
Figure 33: Next most popular parental attitudes towards kids’ TV viewing, by parental attitudes towards kids’ TV viewing, June 2009
TARGETING OPPORTUNITIES
Key points
 TARGET GROUPS
Turn On, Tune Out (29% of internet users aged 16+ or 10.2 million adults)
The Engaged Audience (26% of internet users aged 16+ or 9.1 million adults)
Non-analytical Viewers (45% of internet users aged 16+ or 15.8 million adults)
Lean back or lean forward?
Figure 34: Attitudes towards type of TV programming watched, by target groups, June 2009
News/current affairs top for all groups
Figure 35: Type of TV programming watched all the time, by target groups, June 2009
Occasional viewing fairly similar
Figure 36: Type of TV programming watched occasionally, by target groups, June 2009
Turn On, Tune Out have fewer turn-offs
Figure 37: Type of TV programming never watched, by target groups, June 2009
APPENDIX – INTERNAL MARKET ENVIRONMENT
Figure 38: Number of television sets, 2004-08
Figure 39: Screen size, 2004-08
Figure 40: Screen type, 2006-08
Figure 41: Television features, 2004-08
APPENDIX – WHO WATCHES WHAT AND WHEN?
Figure 42: Most popular type of TV programming watched all the time, by demographic sub-group, June 2009
Figure 43: Next most popular type of TV programming watched all the time by demographic sub-group, June 2009
Figure 44: Most popular type of TV programming watched occasionally, by demographic sub-group, June 2009
Figure 45: Next most popular type of TV programming watched occasionally, by demographic sub-group, June 2009
Figure 46: Most popular type of TV programming never watched, by demographic sub-group, June 2009
Figure 47: Next most popular type of TV programming never watched, by demographic sub-group, June 2009
Figure 48: Most popular type of TV programming watched occasionally, by type of TV programming watched occasionally, June 2009
Figure 49: Next most popular type of TV programming watched occasionally, by type of TV programming watched occasionally, June 2009
Figure 50: Most popular type of TV programming never watched, by type of TV programming never watched, June 2009
Figure 51: Next most popular type of TV programming never watched, by type of TV programming never watched, June 2009
Figure 52: Escapism and edutainment, by demographic sub-group, June 2009
APPENDIX – WHY DO PEOPLE WATCH?
Figure 53: Most popular attitudes towards type of TV programming watched, by demographic sub-group, June 2009
Figure 54: Next most popular attitudes towards type of TV programming watched, by demographic sub-group, June 2009
APPENDIX – PARENTAL ATTITUDES TOWARDS KIDS’ TV VIEWING
Figure 55: Most popular attitudes towards children's TV viewing, by demographic sub-group, June 2009
Figure 56: Next most popular attitudes towards kid's TV viewing, by demographic sub-group, June 2009
APPENDIX – TARGETING OPPORTUNITIES
Figure 57: Target groups, by demographic sub-group, June 2009

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