Survey: TV expects bumper Xmas ratings
December 18, 2020
Christmas is set to look very different this year, but if there’s one staple that the nation will be relying on, it’s gathering in front of the TV screen to watch movies and shows, whether those be old favourites or new releases.
According to a survey from Sony Professional Solutions Europe, 69 per cent of us are anticipating watching more film and TV this Christmas compared to previous years, but nearly half of us (43 per cent) are concerned about running out of things to watch.
With the festive season typically a peak period for production schedules, film and TV companies are under increased pressure in 2020 to clear the backlog created by Covid-19 earlier this year where much of the industry ground to a halt. While production may not have quite returned to pre-pandemic levels, there has been a significant uplift in recent months to deliver content that meets an increased demand.
As TV and film consumption are set to be the number one replacement for those who will miss out on their usual festive activities of seeing family (61 per cent) friends (48 per cent) and going to the pub (42 per cent), it’s a race against time to ensure enough new content can be ready for viewers. To make this possible, a wide range of behind-the-scenes Covid measures have been developed and implemented across the industry.
While cinemas have remained closed for much of this year and many new releases held back, the Christmas viewing boost also spells good news for the economy, with one in three people stating they are likely to rent or buy (33 per cent) content outside of their current subscriptions. Those aged 18-24 are most likely to rent or buy (55 per cent) – unsurprisingly given 84 per cent of this age group expect their viewing to increase in December whilst also being the most worried about having nothing to watch, with 65 per cent stating this is already a concern.
Adam Fry, Vice President Sony Professional Europe said: “After a very challenging year for the media industry, we’ve seen a real surge in demand recently for our products and services across film and TV. As production schedules begin to return to pre-pandemic levels ensuring increased demand for festive content can be met, we continue to work with partners to enable the safest and most efficient way of producing content. Key to this has been the ability to offer technology that met the rapidly changing needs of production companies trying to operate under very strict conditions and helping them to keep film and TV sets safe”.