Watching
Online video services continued to dominate our viewing preferences. Compared with
2022, more of us watched paid subscription streaming services (66%, up from 59%),
user-generated or short-form online video services (57%, up from 44%), and FTA
catch-up TV and streaming services (43% up from 38%).
Although watching FTA TV (excluding catch-up TV) fell to 52% (from 56% in 2022),
overall FTA viewing (68%) remained steady over the previous 12 months due to the
increase in FTA catch-up TV and streaming services.
ABC iview continued to attract the largest FTA catch-up TV audience (58%), however,
the growth in catch-up TV viewing was driven by 7plus and 9Now (both 41%, up from
33% and 32%, respectively, in 2021). It was also driven by older audiences (aged 55
plus).
Similar trends were seen in time spent viewing. The overall average time spent
watching video content remained stable on last year (15.6 hours per week). We are
spending more time watching user-generated or short-form online video services (up
from 3.1 hrs a week in 2022 to 4.4 hrs in 2023) and less time watching FTA TV
(excluding catch-up TV) (down from 6.6 hours a week in 2022 to 5.6 hours in 2023).
YouTube took the top place from Netflix for the most popular platform for watching
online content in 2023. Over half of us watched YouTube in a given week (51%, up
from 47% in 2022), compared with 45% who watched Netflix (down from 52% in
2022). Smaller services or platforms made inroads in 2023, with increases on 2022 for
Amazon Prime Video (from 21% to 25%), Instagram Reels (from 19% to 24%), Kayo
(from 9% to 12%), and Paramount+ (from 7% to 12%).
Smart TVs also continue to grow in popularity in Australian households, with 78% of
adults now owning a smart TV (up from 73% in 2022). As smart TV adoption
increased, standard TV ownership has fallen to 30% (from 35% in 2022).