Australians switching to catch-up, on-demand

The amount of time the average Australian viewer spends watching TV is decreasing as they move to on-demand and catch-up services.

TV viewing time fell to 89 hours and 28 minutes a month in the first quarter of 2015, compared to 93 hours and 16 minutes in the same period a year earlier.

While live viewing is still the most common way to watch TV, a gradual five-year long decline in the proportion of live versus catch-up viewing continued in 1Q15. The proportion of time-shifted viewing has increased by about 50% in the past year.

The increase in on-demand and time-shifted viewing is being driven, in part, by the uptake of connected TVs, which are now in a third of Australian homes. However, the rate of adoption of connected TVs and devices is actually slowing as many consumers already have such products.

The finding comes from the latest Multi-Screen Report issued by audience ratings specialists Tam, OzTam and Nielsen.

OzTAM CEO Doug Peiffer said: “Australians spend a little less time at the ‘full buffet’ of live linear television and a little more time viewing ‘a la carte’, watching their favourite TV shows when they want. Also, there is an increase in time shift viewing beyond seven days, as reported in this quarter. We’ll continue to keep an eye on this evolving behaviour.”