Summer holiday season does signify a specific period in the realm of television consumption, especially with the two prominent trends that typically do come into play. Not only do Czech viewers allocate the least amount of their time to television viewing during the months of July and August – when compared to the remainder of the year, but their viewing habits also undergo a notable transformation. This period also witnesses an evident surge in interest in thematic television channels.
“A decline in television viewership during the summer months is a well-established norm. Across the last five years, the duration of television consumption in July and August has remained nearly 20% lower than the yearly average,” states Pavel Müller, Head of Research & Marketing at Atmedia, referring to the official electronic television audience data.[1] June stands out as another month with decreased television audience figures. In contrast, December does claim the spotlight, with viewers spending incomparably more of their time in front of the TV screens, especially during the Christmas festivities.
This year’s data further substantiates the pattern of declining audience figures during the summer holidays. In July and August, viewers aged 15–69 did spend an average of 2 hours and 35 minutes in front of their TV screens, which is in contrast to the period from January to June, when the average viewing time stood at 3 hours and 10 minutes – marking a discernible difference of 35 minutes. Television viewership did experience a notable decline in July and August across all of the age groups, albeit to varying degrees. “As an illustration, viewers aged 15–24 reduced their average viewing time by 13% compared to the first half of the year, while viewers aged 35–44 exhibited a more substantial decline in television viewership, with a 25% decrease,” adds Pavel Müller.[2]
Summer Spells Success for Thematic TV Channels, Especially the Movie Ones
Beyond the decrease in summer audience figures, there’s a discernible uptick in the popularity of thematic television channels during this period. “Devotees of thematic TV channels do often exhibit their unwavering loyalty, remaining committed to their favourite programmes even throughout the summer holidays. Unlike the major television networks that adopt the holiday schedules featuring reruns, thematic TV channels typically uphold their tradition and often keep the momentum going by premiering a fresh content,” notes Pavel Müller.
The growing preference for thematic television channels during the summer season is also substantiated by the data sourced from Atmedia sales house. Their roster of thematic television channels achieved an impressive 5,9% audience share within the desired demographic of those aged 15–69 during the July and August period. “In July, along with June and April of this year, we accomplished a significant milestone by achieving a 6% audience share,” highlights Michaela Suráková, Atmedia’s Managing director.[3] The summer months of July and August did see as many as 64% of viewers aged 15–69 tune in to one or more of the 24 measured television channels, with an average daily viewing time of 1 hour and 10 minutes.[4]
Over the past two months, Atmedia has achieved some record-high figures, largely attributed to the strong performance of movie and series Pay-TV channels, whose upward viewership trends have been a regular occurrence, especially during the summer holiday period. During July and August of this year, the total audience share of television channels such as AMC, AXN, CANAL+ Action, CS Film, FilmBox, FilmBox Stars, Film+, and JOJ Cinema, experienced a substantial 5% increase among the target audience aged 15–69, especially when compared to the initial half of the year.[5]
In this period, viewers did show an appetite for both Czech and foreign movies, with some of the top-viewed programmes including ‘Černí Baroni’ on JOJ Cinema, ‘Teroristka’ on FilmBox, or ‘Pyšná Princezna’ on CS Film. Popular choices in the realm of foreign films featured titles such as ‘Fantomas’ on AMC, ‘The Prince’ on FilmBox, or ‘London Has Fallen’ on JOJ Cinema.
Beyond the heightened interest in movie and series television channels, there is a conspicuous upsurge in the popularity of children’s television channels during the summer holidays. Notably, the collective audience share of Pay-TV channels – Disney Channel and Minimax – both being part of Atmedia’s portfolio, experienced a significant 26% increase within the 4–14 target audience comparison to the first half of this year.[6]
[1] ATO – Nielsen, Live + TS0–3, 2018–2022, ATS / Day, TG 15–69
[2] ATO – Nielsen, Live + TS0–3, January–August 2023, ATS / Day, TG 15–69, 15–24, 35–44
[3] ATO – Nielsen, Live + TS0–3, January–August 2023, Share, TG 15–69, Atmedia + AMC Networks + Seznam.cz TV
[4] ATO – Nielsen, Live + TS0–3, July–August 2023, Reach / Day, ATS-R / Day, TG 15–69, Atmedia + AMC Networks + Seznam.cz TV
[5] ATO – Nielsen, Live + TS0–3, January–August 2023, Share, TG 15–69, AMC, AXN, CANAL+ Action, CS Film, FilmBox, FilmBox Stars, Film+, JOJ Cinema
[6] ATO – Nielsen, Live + TS0–3, January–August 2023, Share, TG 4–14, Disney Channel, Minimax
