In this article, we’ll explore 20 countries that watch the most TV. If you want to skip our detailed analysis of current TV viewing data and global content trends then head straight to the 6 Countries That Watch the Most TV.
Recent TV Viewing Data and Global Content Trends
The TV landscape is witnessing a significant shift, driven by fragmented offerings and the surge in non-linear viewing. As stakeholders adapt their strategies, a consistent focus on fiction in program launches persists. Glance's insights underscore two pivotal trends: the growing prominence of series as IPs and the sustained popularity of older entertainment formats.
TV broadcasters are strategically expanding to multiple platforms to cater to the rising demand for non-linear viewing, with ITV's "Unforgotten" capturing a substantial audience in 2023. Despite this, the challenge lies in devising effective monetization models amidst content and strategy investments.
Concurrently, public broadcasters collaborate and invest in top-tier dramas to stay competitive. However, despite the proliferation of FAST Channels, their viewership remains relatively modest compared to live broadcasts, calling for standardized audience measurement, even as SVOD platforms like Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)’s Prime Video, Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS)’s Disney+ transition to advertising. Amidst these dynamic changes, "coopetition" emerges as a novel strategy for successful content launch and development, reinforcing industry resilience with stable market shares. In 2022, global TV viewers averaged 2 hours 25 minutes daily, varying across 88 countries.
Interestingly, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)’s Prime Video and Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS)’s Disney+ are reportedly exploring the transition to an ad-supported model for their streaming platforms. This entails introducing a more budget-friendly subscription tier with advertisements, allowing users to cut down on subscription costs. Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX) and Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS)’s Disney+ have already introduced ad-supported plans in the past year, and if Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)’s Prime Video follows suit, all major streaming services would offer ad-supported options. For Netflix, the choice to incorporate advertisements followed a period of subscriber loss in the initial quarter of 2022, although its subscriber numbers recovered later in the year. And Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS)’s Disney+ introduced ad-supported plans for affordability and higher user revenue in late 2022.
Notably, these ad-supported tiers would be supplementary to their existing ad-free subscription choices. The shift towards ad-supported streaming is driven by the aim to generate additional revenue from entertainment and tap into the migration of advertising funds from traditional television to streaming platforms, while also enticing more subscribers to their video services.
Furthermore, recent data indicates a decline in TV viewership from traditional broadcasters. Time spent watching TV shows on traditional channels, including live, recorded, and on-demand content, dropped by 9% compared to 2020 and 4% compared to 2019. This decline indicates an ongoing trend of reduced viewership from traditional broadcasters over the past decade. The share of viewership held by broadcasters also decreased to 59% in 2021, down from 61% in 2020 and 67% in 2019.
Amid TV viewership changes, the question remains: Do Americans watch more TV than other countries? According to a study conducted in 2021, television consumption in the United States stands out. After accounting for sleeping hours, Americans dedicated a significant portion of their time to watching television, averaging around 3.35 hours per day.
Now, if you’re curious to know which countries watch the most TV, continue reading to uncover the answer in our final segment.
20 Countries That Watch the Most TV
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Our Methodology
For our list of 20 countries that watch the most TV, we gathered data from reputable sources to obtain information on the average daily TV viewing time for each country. We then ranked the countries in ascending order based on their average daily TV viewing time.
Here is the list of countries that watch the most TV.
20. Germany
Average daily TV viewing time: 2.43 hours
In Germany, people still spend a lot of time with old-fashioned media, like TV, making up 52.5% of their media time. This shows that even though digital media is getting more popular, regular TV is still a big part of how Germans enjoy media. Although they might watch TV a bit less than in some other countries, it's still an important way they enjoy media in Germany.
19. South Korea
Average daily TV viewing time: 2.46 hours
TV watching in South Korea is changing, with less TV and more digital media. People love dramas, reality shows, and comedy on TV there. Korean dramas are a hit not only in South Korea but also in other Asian countries and beyond. They've even become popular worldwide with translated versions on tapes, DVDs, and digital formats.
18. Indonesia
Average daily TV viewing time: 2.49 hours
Indonesians typically watch TV for about 2 hours and 49 minutes every day. But, they're getting more into digital media these days. Out of the 283 hours they spend on digital media in a month, more than half (55 percent) is spent on things like news, websites, OTT, and music streaming.
17. Ireland
Average daily TV viewing time: 2.50 hours
People in Ireland typically watch TV for around 2 hours and 50 minutes every day. The preferred TV channels in Ireland are RTÉ One, RTÉ Two, Virgin Media One, and Virgin Media Two. These channels offer a variety of shows, including news, entertainment, and sports programs.
16. Australia
Average daily TV viewing time: 2.52
In Australia, baby boomers spent about 18 hours per week watching free-to-air TV, while millennials watched an average of 10 hours weekly. News channels continue to be popular, with 38% of respondents relying on them for news in 2023. This underscores that TV remains a significant news source in Australia.
15. France
Average daily TV viewing time: 2.53 hours
Around 27% of viewers in France watched 10 or more TV show episodes weekly. TV advertising spending in France reached approximately 3.4 billion euros in 2022. Top TV channels in France encompass TF1, France 2, France 3, and M6. Engrenages, Les Revenants, and Dix Pour Cent stand out as notable French TV dramas.
14. United Kingdom
Average daily TV viewing time: 2.55 hours
The emergence of streaming platforms has greatly affected traditional TV channels in the UK, leading to a decrease in live TV watching and ad earnings. WARC's report predicts a 3.1% drop in worldwide TV advertising revenue in 2023, largely due to the impact of streaming services. According to Ofcom's findings, live TV viewing in the UK dropped by 13% in 2021. As traditional TV consumption declines, streaming services are gaining more traction and popularity in the UK.
13. Turkey
Average daily TV viewing time: 2.58 hours
Turkish television audiences exhibit a pronounced fondness for TV series, leading to substantial economic, industrial, and artistic advancements within Turkey's TV series sector since the early 2000s. These Turkish TV series, referred to as "diziler," have garnered significant attention both domestically and on the global stage. However, there has been a consistent decrease in overall television consumption within Turkey, a trend attributed to the evolving media landscape and the ascent of online media platforms. Despite this decline, television remains the primary source of news for the majority in Turkey, even as traditional print newspapers have waned in popularity. This enduring dominance of television as a news medium is propelled by effective governmental regulation and the convenience of accessibility.
12. Italy
Average daily TV viewing time: 2.59 hours
Most Italians aged 16 to 75 like watching TV in the evening, from 9 pm to 11 pm, with 46.6% choosing this time. When it comes to how they watch TV, the top choices for Italians are regular TV channels (57%), then streaming services (23%), and pay-TV channels (20%).
11. Japan
Average daily TV viewing time: 3.0 hours
In Japan, 58.4% of households that utilize a TV for internet access do it mainly to watch TV shows. A Magnite report suggests that the ad-supported streaming market in Japan will expand as conventional TV viewers adapt their viewing routines.
10. Thailand
Average daily TV viewing time: 3.01 hours
Media going digital has altered how Thais watch, as they dedicate substantial time to the internet. Streaming services on over-the-top (OTT) platforms have become a hit in Thailand. Typically, viewers access OTT platforms about 17 days each month, spending around 3.1 hours daily.
9. Argentina
Average daily TV viewing time: 3.2 hours
The way people watch TV in Argentina changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with more viewers during that period. Additionally, there's a move towards subscription video-on-demand platforms, suggesting changing viewer preferences. The TV market in Argentina might shrink, possibly due to the growth of digital streaming platforms.
8. Brazil
Average daily TV viewing time: 3.04 hours
A Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism report indicates that TV maintains its dominance in media spending in Brazil, yet it's facing competition from online media. The average daily watch time for broadcast linear programming in Brazil is 3 hours and 4 minutes. Concurrently, online viewing is gaining traction across a substantial portion of the population. Television represents more than 60% of Brazil's overall advertising spending.
7. Colombia
Average daily TV viewing time: 3.11 hours
Colombia's top TV channels encompass Caracol TV, RCN TV, Canal 1, and Señal Colombia. These channels offer a diverse range of content, featuring telenovelas, series, game shows, and news. A Colombian study revealed varying TV viewing times among adolescents, with percentages ranging from 17% to higher figures.
