The television set has grown into one of the most important devices in our homes. Not surprisingly, it is also one of the very few electronic devices in the home to enjoy nicknames (“telly”, “tube”, “TV”, “box”). With 98% equipped homes in OECD countries, it has a similar market penetration as the refrigerator. Watching television is also the most popular leisure activity in all Western countries, with an average consumption time of over 3 hours per day. With the advent of the flat screen TV, and more and more homes equipped with multiple TV screens, it is particularly interesting to analyze the relationship between consumers and their television set, beyond the actual programs that they watch on it.

 

The survey conducted by Brand Driver reveals how visually inescapable the TV screen has become in consumers’ homes. With the arrival on the market of relatively inexpensive, large-panel flat-screens, the television set is taking a more prominent place in the living room. As many as 68% of respondents declare that their TV set is “very noticeable”, “the focal point of the living room” for 45%. This visual importance of the TV set in terms of home décor is likely to become more and more prevalent, as prices of large HD screens are declining steeply and consumers’ appetite for larger TV screens seems unstoppable: over one in two respondents wish “to buy a bigger screen if they could afford it”.

 

This survey also unveils the importance of passive, which has grown into a massive consumption pattern. 36% of respondents admitted that their “main TV is always on when somebody is in the house”, while 43% declared to “enjoy having the TV on as company even if they are concentrating on something else”. Respondents estimate that passive television consumption accounts for close to 20% of their total TV viewing time.

 

*Survey conducted in November 2009 among British pay-television subscribers (70% SKY subscribers).

 

 

Founded in 2007, PURESCREENS produces, acquires and distributes aesthetic audiovisual contents in High Definition. PURESCREENS is active in the pay-television market (pay-DTT, cable, satellite and DSL), where its contents are distributed both as a linear services and on an on-demand basis. The company also operates in the digital signage and in the consumer electronics sectors.

For more information about PURESCREENS: www.purescreens.com

E-mail press@purescreens.com

 

BRAND DRIVER is a leading international research and strategy agency specializing in the media, entertainment and leisure markets.

For more information about BRAND DRIVER: www.branddriver.co.uk