CATCH-UP AND PREVIEW VIEWING, NEW TRENDS THAT CAN BOOST RATINGS

Catch-up and preview viewing for television programmes can significantly add-up to the ratings, according to Glance. In terms of contents, “emotainment” represents a strong trend to unite the whole family around television. Fiction remains the key genre addressing both real events and supernatural fiction formats.

“The profusion of content presents a real challenge for the market: how to capture and then retain an increasingly sought-after audience and how to adapt to the new consumption habits of TV viewers. Making content available during an extended time period via live broadcasts, catch-up and, more recently, preview appears to be essential for the television offer going forward into the future,” commented Frédéric Vaulpré, Vice-President of Glance.

Avril Blondelot, Content Insight Director at Glance, added: “Now more than ever, novelty is synonymous with audience success. In 2019, 10,600 new series were identified in the countries studied by the NoTa monitoring service. Among these new programme launches on the channels measured, the proportion of audience hits has risen in two years. Besides, over a three year period, quite many channels have had their most successful launch by genre in 2019 in ratings”.

● NEW TIMINGS BENEFIT RATINGS

In 2019, new ways to watch TV have become part of viewer habits. Although live TV broadcasts still account for the vast majority of daily TV viewing time, other practices are becoming established. Catch-up, for example, is now a well-known alternative amongst viewers. In 2019, out of the average of 3 hrs and 40 mins daily TV viewing time in five countries combined (France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States), 10% was catch-up. This practice is growing its appeal across different age groups and is no longer the prerogative of young people.

Preview – the possibility of watching a programme before it airs on a scheduled broadcast – represents a remarkable audience booster for the programmes that offer this option. For example, in the United Kingdom, where preview is offered, it can bring an additional 37% audience share to a programme.

● EMOTIONAL CONTENT AND ORIGINAL GAME FORMATS BRING AUDIENCES TOGETHER

Entertainment is still a strong draw to TV sets, especially as a family. Embracing this trend, the concept of “emotainment” means content that generates positive emotions around the themes of music, nostalgia and celebrations.

Television game shows are ever popular and gather viewers around their TV sets. This year was particularly strong for original shows like these (twice the number versus 2017). Lastly, as far as factual programming is concerned, the search for emotion is still there, but success lies in content that promotes helping others and which prompts all generations of the general public to get involved.

● FICTION: BETWEEN REALITY AND THE SUPERNATURAL

With 4,700 series launched in 2019, fiction remains one of TV content’s dominant genres. The two trends that emerged or were strengthened this year: fictions based on real events (news items and historical stories) and, on the opposite end, supernatural fiction formats.

A common sight on special interest channels, documentaries that dissect news stories and unsolved crimes are a sure-fire hit with viewers. The phenomenon now extends to fiction, with the same demands in the search for truth and information. Fantasy and horror series are spreading out in Western Europe and Asia on major channels.