LOCAL TV NEWS IS THE PREFERRED MEDIA CHOICE IN THE U.S.

As concerns and restrictions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic rise, consumers are gravitating toward local news outlets to stay informed about updates about the virus in their communities. A recent Nielsen analysis indicates a notable spike in local news viewing between early February and early March. Viewing data was analyzed across Nielsen’s Local People Meter (LPM) markets, which make up 25 of the largest local markets as referred to by the Nielsen’s Local TV Household. Local news experienced a 7% increase in viewership for people ages two and older between early February and the week of 9 March. The spike was higher among people between the ages of 25-54, at more than 10%. Viewership of younger individuals, aged 2-17 also increased by 20%.

As the virus began to spread across U.S. states, a track in the increase of viewership in regions where most cases have been reported. The west was hit earlier than other regions, with San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento and Seattle receiving the most impact and increases in local news viewing. During the analyzed period, local news viewing among people ages 25-54 was up 38% in San Francisco and 25% in LA. “Non-adults have typically contributed very little to the profile of local news viewing,” said Justin LaPorte, VP, Local Audience Insights at Nielsen. ”In the week of March 9, however, when schools across the U.S. began to move to in-home learning, 25-54s added more local news to their daily routines. As a result, there was more viewing among non-adults.”

The increase in viewership may result in a unique opportunity for advertisers to showcase their brand value. As the outbreak continues to evolve, the viewing behavior of people 25-54, a key selling demo for local advertisers, is shifting as well. The genres people are watching complement major broadcast networks in the LPM markets, with few genres benefiting more than others, gaining five share points for P25-54 viewing in total to broadcast, increasing to 30.9% of all quarter-hours tuned across broadcast the week of 9 March. General Drama, Participation Variety, Situation Comedy, and Feature Film have also noticed a rise in their share of overall broadcast viewership.