The national survey, commissioned by Free TV and conducted by Jigsaw Strategic Research, was part of a quantitative study of more than 1,500 digital TV viewers that explored consumers’ attitudes to free-to-air TV and, more specifically, the new channels.
The study found that people are finding more of what they want to watch on free-to-air TV. 73 per cent say that the new channels are providing them with more choice than ever before and 6 in 10 people say the new channels are now part of their regular television repertoire.
Furthermore, more than 1 in 3 people say they are watching more TV now that they have access to the new channels.
This is supported by OzTAM ratings data which shows overall TV viewing is up 6 minutes for the survey year. Free-to-air’s share of viewing is also up year-on-year with the new channels, despite only being in market for a short time, now accounting for around 15 per cent of evening viewing.
The new channels are also driving higher satisfaction levels of free-to-air TV. An overwhelming majority of respondents (7 out of 10) believe free-to-air TV is getting better.
The research also confirmed that people are more accepting of the ads they see on free-to-air TV. More than half of respondents say they don’t mind ads on free-to-air TV because that’s what makes it free, while just 12 per cent of people with pay TV say they don’t mind ads on pay TV. However a whopping 72 per cent of pay subscribers disagreed or strongly disagreed with this statement. Free TV Australia Page 2 Media Release
Free TV director of marketing Rhonda Brown said, “The new channels have quickly found a home on the digital free-to-air platform and are now very much part of Australians daily TV viewing.
“The new channels offer more choice not only for viewers, but for also for advertisers – providing them with even more ways to engage with their target audiences.”