Published:
19-Nov-07
Strong growth in digital TV during 2007 has led to an increase in overall TV viewing in France, despite online competition for eyeballs, latest report from TV advertising trade body SNPTV shows. Even with the growth in viewing, advertising revenues are expected to grow less than three per cent in full year 2007. Over the first ten months of 2007, the average daily TV viewing (all individuals above four years old) reached three hours 27 minutes, an all-time high for France and three minutes more than in 2006.
After a weak 2006, growth in viewing time was particularly noticeable among two demographic groups that traditionally watch less TV: children aged between four and 10, for instance, watch much less than average (only two hours 11 minutes) but their viewing has picked up by a massive seven minutes in 2007. Young men (15-24) watched one hour 58 minutes of TV a day this year, up eight minutes on 2006. The increase in 2007 brings the key male group back to the long-term viewing trend of between one hour 50 minutes and two hours and one minute during the same period over the last ten years.
Individuals who can access 'multichannel TV' (cable, satellite or DTT) have a higher average viewing time, at three hours 31 minutes (up nine minutes this year). Those who access multichannel TV dedicate 37 per cent of their viewing time to 'digital-only' channels and 63 per cent to the six main terrestrial channels.
Our take...
These viewing trends show that the migration to digital multichannel is helping to maintain total TV viewing time, especially among the demographics that normally show a low viewing pattern (children and young men). However, the positive impact of digital migration is masking the effect of new media viewing opportunities. Although TV has to compete with Internet browsing and video gaming for young French eyeballs the very fast uptake of digital TV among these groups maintains their TV viewing time. Children from four to 10 already dedicate 30 per cent of their viewing to multichannel. However, when digital migration is complete we suspect the competition from other forms of entertainment will start affecting more negatively TV viewing time among young and affluent demographics.
Taking into account a growing penetration for multichannel TV (especially through free DTT and IPTV) and that share of viewing, the audience share of digital-only channels is 18.2 per cent, up four per cent over 2006 but still significantly below that of the UK (around 35 per cent).
For January to September (nine months) TF1 channel advertising revenues were up only 0.5 per cent and TF1 digital channels were up 22 per cent while M6 channel reported 3.7 per cent growth. The three combined, which represent about 75 per cent of the whole TV advertising market, grew 2.7 per cent over the same period in 2006.
France,
