Irish Adults 'TV Binge' – Eircom Survey

Virtually all Irish adults still prefer to watch live TV on their 'normal' television set in their own homes, as opposed to portable devices, according to the latest eircom Household Sentiment Survey (eHSS).

The in-depth, bi-annual nationwide household survey of more than 1,100 Irish people revealed that nine out of 10 adults (91%) still watch TV on their television set and 92% of that is actually watched live. However, the shift to watching live and 'catch up' TV on portable devices is happening daily amongst the younger cohort, with half of all 16 to 34-year-olds watching live or 'catch up' TV on portable devices, shunning the traditional TV set.

The survey also revealed evidence of a growing trend towards 'TV Bingeing', watching several hours of the same programme, back to back, in a single sitting. Dubliners are by far the biggest TV bingers, with 51% guilty of the habit versus 36% of respondents outside the capital. This 'TV bingeing' is facilitated by a myriad of different services, the most popular of which is catch up players at 37%, followed closely by Netflix at 33% and pre-recorded programmes at 31%. Internet downloads (27%) and rented DVDs (19%) also feature, albeit further down the list – once again showing how technology has evolved over the last number of years.

Clinical Psychologist David Coleman, who has worked with eircom since the first eHSS in 2012, said he was particularly interested in the reflection of the role of TV in Irish households and the growth of 'life-logging' which this survey reveals.

He said: "Watching live TV on a traditional TV set is still the norm for most Irish adults up and down the country, as people relax and unwind the old fashioned way. However, that is also juxtaposed with a whole new TV phenomenon – the rise of 'TV bingeing' – which is symptomatic of people's busy lifestyles and their desire to choose what they want to see, how they want it and when they want it."

(CD/JP)