Ofcom: Less than half of young people are watching live television each week

Less than half of young people watch live television in the average week, a new study has revealed.

Research by Ofcom found that just 48% of young people tuned in to live TV each week in 2023, which represented a drop off from 76% in 2018.

Those aged between 16 and 24 were found to watch just 20 minutes of television each week, while those aged between 25 and 34 watch television for 35 minutes in the average week.

The media regulator’s research found that most young people opted to watch video-sharing platforms such as YouTube and TikTok instead.

As many as 93% of those aged 16 to 24 watch a video streaming platform in the average week, while 63% of those aged between 25 and 34 also opt for the likes of TikTok and YouTube over traditional TV.

Those in the 16 to 24 age group reported watching one hour and 33 minutes of content on video-sharing platforms, while those in the 25 to 34 age group reported watching an hour and three minutes of shared content each week.

Middle-aged viewers, aged between 45 and 54, have also begun to turn away from linear television, with viewing rates in the age group falling from 89% to 84% in a single year.

But despite figures showing that traditional viewing is falling, people in the UK watched more TV and video content at home in 2023 than in the previous year, averaging four hours and 31 minutes a day.

Ofcom says the TV set “remains at the heart of household viewing”, but said an increase in its use was being primarily driven by an uptick in the viewing of video-sharing platforms, which rose by 12% between 2022 and 2023.

There has also been an increase in those viewing broadcasters’ on-demand services such as ITVX and BBC iPlayer, which rose 29% between 2022 and 2023.

But while traditional television is losing its grip on household leisure time, radio is making a comeback.

In the first quarter of 2024, radio saw its highest number of weekly listeners across all devices in the past 20 years, with just under 50 million tuning in.

Ofcom said this was due to the fact it was attracting new audiences and increasing its average hours per listener, with just over seven in 10 people aged 15 and above tuning into commercial stations at least once a week.

Streaming services saw a marginal rise in viewers, up 6% between 2022 and 2023, with Netflix remaining the most popular service, as viewers spend an average of 21 minutes a week on the platform.

Traditional television remains popular among older audiences, with those aged 65 and above watching more than four hours of television every week.

Live national and international events have topped the tables of the most popular TV broadcasts, with the Euro 2024 final between England and Spain attracting 15.1 million viewers across the BBC and ITV.

Speaking about the figures, Ian Macrae, Ofcom’s director of market intelligence said: “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.

“It’s no surprise that the traditional TV is fast becoming a device of choice to watch YouTube.

“But 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.”