Pandemic and self-isolation have changed our habits. Children and adults, practically locked at home, began to watch TV more often. According to fiber-optic network Penki, TV time has increased by 30 percent since this spring compared to the same period last year.
Pandemic and self-isolation have changed our habits. Children and adults, practically locked at home, began to watch TV more often. According to fiber-optic network Penki, TV time has increased by 30 percent since this spring compared to the same period last year.
The indicators of daytime airtime have much increased. Earlier daytime was not considered key for the TV audience. Since the quarantine, the proportion of viewers who watch TV during the day has jumped by 60 percent.
The coronavirus has not changed the preferences of capital TV viewers. General broadcasting channels with news, films, serials, and entertainment programs, continue to lead the ratings. The most popular are LRT, TV3, and LNK.
“During self-isolation, the TV screen became the centre of attraction for all family members. We wanted to diversify the leisure time of our clients, so we expanded the list of free TV channels. Many viewers waited for the appearance of Delfi TV. Its ratings skyrocketed thanks to the original news feed, author programs on current events, and interviews with interesting interlocutors,” says Evaldas Girskus, Head of Penkių kontinentų komunikacijų centras, part of the Penki Kontinentai Group, providing Penki fiber-optic Internet and IPTV.
According to him, Viasat History HD and Viasat Explore were also in great demand during the quarantine. Its broadcast based on documentaries about science, technology, and history.
Cancelled sports events and the lack of live broadcasts led to a decrease in the number of subscribers to the TV3 Sport package. However, the Champions League brings fans back to the screen.
“During the quarantine period, the demand for educational and entertainment content increased by more than 20%. News and analytical programs were also among the leaders in TV broadcasting, whose indicators broke all records in April,” says Natalija Dmitrijeva, Head of TV projects at Penkių kontinentų komunikacijų centras.
She emphasizes that the programs' popularity depends on the audience, which has become much younger. During the holidays, young people returned to traditional linear TV viewing. Schoolchildren and students had more free time, which they spent in front of TV.
Most of us continue to travel virtually and do not risk going to the cinema. The second wave of the pandemic is already beginning in some countries; certain restrictions are coming into force. The Internet and television can become almost the only way to spend time.
“Taking care of our customers we have expanded the range of our services. The number of channels with the ability to record has increased significantly. We wanted to make the content available to TV viewers at any time. A quality of archival records has increased. The choice of the language track became possible not only during live broadcasting but also in the recording. Our goal is to give viewers more opportunities,” says the Head of Penkių kontinentų komunikacijų centras.