A report from Deloitte and YouGove reveals that British consumers would rather scale back on dining out and going to the movies than cut back on how much they spend for TV services.
The Deloitte/YouGov research, Television’s Got Talent, was produced on behalf of the Media Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, taking place August 28 to 30.
The report asked consumers which entertainment options they would consider cutting before scaling back their TV budget. Consumers said they would prefer spending less on dining out (43%) and going to the movies or to the pub (38%). Age groups differed however with 48% of 35-to-44 year-olds indicating a willingness to eat out less compared to 38% of the 18-24 group.
Consumers also showed an unwillingness to scale back on mobile (19%) and broadband (5%) spending. Jolyon Barker, the head of Deloitte’s U.K. technology, media & telecommunications practice, said: “Consumers are tightening their belts and it is good news for the television industry that television is the entertainment of choice for the British family. Television, mobiles, books and broadband are the essential items the consumer cannot live without, even when times are tight.”
The report also found that 45% of respondents were watching TV for more than an hour a day. According to the report the recession has prompted consumers to watch more documentaries (19%) and news (18%), as compared with more reality TV (5%) and chat shows (3%).
