Working From Home Means Increased TV Consumption

By ( Broadcasting & Cable ) published

Nielsen sees 21% jump from 9 a.m. through 4 p.m. in October

Nielsen
(Image credit: Nielsen)

The office professionals and managers now working from home because of the pandemic are now spending more time watching TV in the daytime, according to Nielsen.

Nielsen said that total TV consumption between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., including live TV, time-shifted programming, internet connected devices and game consoles--was up 21% in October. 

Those professionals are engaged with TV for 2 hours and 10 minutes during a typical workweek.

“After living in a pandemic for nine months, daytime has become a second primetime for total TV consumption among many former office professionals and managers,” Nielsen said in a blog post.

As daytime viewing has increased, primetime viewing has not been hurt. Nielsen reports that  evening viewing remain strong. The same viewers from earlier are also watching more TV from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Nielsen noted.

With this in mind, Nielsen is telling advertisers that the best time to reach those professionals is now around lunchtime.

Jon Lafayette
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.