Kids Register Biggest Gains in Quarantine Viewing: Nielsen

With kids remote learning and parents trying to work from home, TV viewing among the youngest demos has skyrocketed, especially during daytime, according to a new report from Nielsen.

Adult viewing had risen, but those gains are drafted by the increases among kids 6 to 11 and teens 12 to 17. In the top 25 markets, Nielsen found a 300% jump in TV usage among 6- to 11-year-olds during the quarantine, compared to a year ago.

“While the magnitude of the percent increases differs by age, the data shows that kids 6-11 are outpacing all other demos for streaming gains, while teens 12-17 give the biggest boost to broadcast TV,” Nielsen said.

The increases in kids viewing also varies by market. Cities in the Northeast jumped the most, with notable gains in Washington, D.C.--viewing by kids 6-11 up 550%--Boston and Baltimore. Outside the East there were substantial increases in kid viewing in Dallas and Houston, but the rises were more modest in West Coast markets.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.