A report by regulator Ofcom found that young people now watch almost seven times less TV than those over 65.
The report showed that 16 to 24-year-olds watch just 53 minutes of TV a day, compared to the over-65s, who watch just under six hours of TV a day on average.
For young people, the few times spent marks a two-third decline in the past 10 years. The report found that the “generation gap” in viewing habits is wider than ever, attributing the gap to the use of television alternatives such as streaming services and short video.
The report showed that one in five U.K. homes had access to all three major streaming services, including Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime. 5.2 million households now have access to all three services.
Ofcom found that the number of households subscribing to at least one streaming service had fallen by 350,000, due to pressure on household budgets as a result of a rise in the cost of living.
“The streaming revolution is stretching the TV generation gap, creating a stark divide in the viewing habits of younger and older people. Traditional broadcasters face tough competition from online streaming platforms, which they’re partly meeting through the popularity of their own on-demand player apps, while broadcast television is still the place to go for big events that bring the nation together, such as the Euro final or the Jubilee celebrations,” said Ian Macrae, Director of Market Intelligence at Ofcom.
The sources for this piece include an article in BBC.