Staying Home Could Increase Media Usage By 60% Nielsen Says
Jess Barnes
Nielsen has released a report showing that when consumers stay at home during major events, media consumption can rise by 60%, with working from home driving an increase in viewership.
“Be it snowstorms, hurricanes or a global pandemic, media users ramp up their media consumption to stay informed, kill time, find solace and stay in touch with others,” Nielsen said in the report.The report is based on viewing habits during two previous major events – Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and a Northeastern US blizzard in 2016. According to Nielsen’s data, viewing in the Houston area increased by 56% during the four week period around Hurricane Harvey. Viewing jumped by 45% during a weekend in New York when residents stayed inside during the blizzard, known as Snowpocalypse, in 2016.With the growth of cord cutting, it’s likely that those numbers will be even higher during the coronavirus pandemic. “Considering that consumers around the globe are already leaning into the growing ray of content options and channels, a 60% increase is significant,” the report said.
With many businesses closing due to coronavirus concerns, Nielsen says it’s likely that the number of hours spent watching TV each day will increase. Remote employees, on average spend 25 hours and 2 minutes per week watching TV. Non-remote workers, on average, spend 21 hours and 56 minutes per week watching TV.
