Kiwis spend 202 minutes watching TV a day

In 2010, New Zealanders spent more time than ever watching Television, with the average person tuning in for 3 hours and 22 minutes every day. The amount of Television viewed in New Zealand continued its pattern of growth with Kiwis now watching 20% more than they did in 2007.

Rick Friesen, Chief Executive of ThinkTV comments; “We are seeing growth in all areas of Television consumption across the major Free-to-Air channels. As TV networks continue to broadcast engaging and exciting content for their viewers this is a trend we expect to see continue in 2011.”

2010 saw an additional 31,000 people tuning in with almost 75% of the population now engaging with Television on a daily basis. Over 2.95 million New Zealanders are now watching TV every single day.

“Watching TV is a social activity that is entrenched as part of our daily dialogue. A favourite TV series or sports match can be an event people want to share. People become emotionally invested in what they watch and discussing their opinions on the finale of a series or the cliff-hanger at the end of the show can become the topic of the day at the watercooler or with other fans on social media sites,” comments Mr Friesen.

Television remains New Zealand’s most popular medium that people actively choose to engage with for many reasons, from information and learning to entertainment and relaxation

TV is the only medium not to have lost audience to the rise in online media consumption. The Roy Morgan total media consumption reports found that while print and radio have lost audience share to online growth, television audiences have remained strong over the past eight years, with over 96% of the population having viewed TV in the last 7 days.

“New Zealand produces innovative TV content, with fantastic, original programming across all the networks. We are excited to see what lies ahead in 2011, and look forward to more growth and an increasing audience,” comments Mr Friesen.