TV viewership up 40% in India in Covid era: Report

MUMBAI: Compared to the pre-Covid period, television viewership in India increased by 40 per cent as more and more people stay at home due the restrictions, said a report on Thursday.

In the week starting April 11, individuals watching TV for all seven days increased to 48 per cent, according to the latest report by TV viewership monitoring agency BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council) and data measurement firm Nielsen.

For the study, the pre-Covid-19 period referred to January 13-February 2.

Highest growth in TV viewership was recorded in some of the biggest metros like Delhi and Mumbai, according to the report.

The results showed that viewership growth in the 15-21 age group is driven largely by the urban market.

The 15-21 age group contribute to 16 per cent of the total TV viewership in India, said the report.

Compared to the pre-Covid period, average time spent on TV in Mumbai grew by one hour and 42 minutes. In Delhi, the time spent rose by around an hour and 26 minutes.

In Mumbai and Delhi, where Covid-19 cases are among the highest in the country, news consumption on TV grew by 251 per cent and 177 per cent respectively.

Growth in movie viewership is coming largely from pay platforms across urban and rural markets - 82 per cent and 69 per cent respectively.

News stays strong in Hindi speaking market with over 200 per cent growth in week 15 over the pre-Covid period, said the report.