Surge in consumption of media amid COVID-19 crisis

The consumption of news, video streaming services and social media has surged in recent weeks as the nation spends the majority of its time indoors to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Surge in consumption of media amid COVID-19 crisis

The consumption of news, video streaming services and social media has surged in recent weeks as the nation spends the majority of its time indoors to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

News consumption, television, podcasts, radio and services like Netflix are all seeing increases according to a survey carried out by media firm GroupM Ireland.

90% of adults reported watching television the previous day, up 18% against the 2019 average.

Subscription television and online players saw increased by 53%.

GroupM Ireland, which is made up of media agencies Mindshare, MediaCom and Wavemaker surveyed more than 1,000 people between March 19 and 23, 68% of whom were either working from home or minding children at home.

The results of the survey found that almost all media sectors have seen a surge in viewers.

With the importance of news in the current period, the survey reported a 13% increase in both print and online news consumption.

Music streaming has increased by 72% as new routines allow for more curated listening. Spotify has observed an increase in cooking and housework playlists, as well as children’’s music.

Subscription TV and online players have seen the most significant growth compared to ’’normal’’ levels measured across 2019 as the number of people watching subscription TV increases by 53%.

A huge part of modern-day media consumption, social media has increased further with usage of apps like Instagram and Snapchat up 45% and 42% respectively. "This research gives us a glimpse as to how our media behaviours have changed while people are doing the right thing and minimising their movements," the survey report states.

The surge in internet usage across the globe has led to service like YouTube and Netflix announcing they were reducing the quality of video streams. The Irish Examiner reported last week that record levels of internet usage were recorded in some internet exchanges due to the increase in streaming services and the large volumes of people now working from home.

More in this section

FILE PHOTO The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has cleared the purchase of Goodbody Stockbrokers by AIB END Goodbody Stockbrokers fined over €1.2m by Central Bank over rules breaches
Nottingham City Centre Stock Irish staff at the Body Shop wait for wages as retailer shuts stores in the Republic
Ryanair comments on Norwegian Ryanair boss O'Leary's spat with Transport Minister over Dublin Airport escalates
IE logo
Devices


UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE IRISH EXAMINER FOR TEAMS AND ORGANISATIONS
FIND OUT MORE

The Business Hub
Newsletter

News and analysis on business, money and jobs from Munster and beyond by our expert team of business writers.

Sign up
ie logo
Puzzles Logo

Play digital puzzles like crosswords, sudoku and a variety of word games including the popular Word Wheel

Lunchtime News
Newsletter

Keep up with the stories of the day with our lunchtime news wrap.

Sign up
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited