Traditional Media Consumption in Australia: Changing Attitudes and Timeless Favourites

The Australian media landscape is evolving rapidly, with new platforms and technologies vying for our attention. While traditional media consumption has faced significant challenges in recent years, there are some elements that remain timeless.

Television Consumption in Australia

Commercial free-to-air television remains the highest weekly viewed medium. With average weekly viewing times totalling 9.51 and 9.08 hours. That was higher than online streaming at 8.16 hours.

Amount of Commercial Free-to-Air Television Viewed on a Normal Weekday

According to the Television Consumer Survey 2023, access to free-to-air TV remains an important factor in Australians’ choice of TV model or connected device. 68% of respondents said that this was either or somewhat very important in making this choice. However, access via the internet is also significant, with 53 per cent in total using on-demand TV apps.

As we approach EOFY, you need to be certain in your media investment decisions. With TV, you know exactly what you are going to get for your marketing dollars – mass reach, attention, memorability, and more sales.

Online TV Consumption in Australia

Results of the 2022 Media Content Consumption Survey highlight that online services are the most popular way for Australian adults to watch screen content:

66% of Australian adults reported watching an online subscription service in 2022, up from 62% in 2021.
The second most popular platform was free video streaming services with 58% of Australians watching one in the past 7 days.

Out-of-Home Consumption in Australia

With the increasing prevalence of digital media noise, marketers are seeking ways to establish brand credibility and trust. Out-of-Home advertising, including billboards and posters displayed in public spaces, has gained the trust of 69% of consumers, whereas online pop-ups were the least trusted at only 25%.

Historically, the younger Gen Z are more difficult to reach via traditional TV advertising. Out-of-Home is an engaging strategy to consider for this demographic. Young Australians are renowned digital natives; however, they tend to live a more active lifestyle which allows greater opportunities to reach them through Out-of-Home.

Radio Consumption in Australia

80% of Australians listened to radio via AM, FM, DAB+, live streaming or catch-up podcasts over the last week (2022). The 2022 Infinite Dial results show that digital audio in Australia is consistently increasing in popularity, while radio continues to be the leading choice of audio both at home and in the car. Since the pre-pandemic days of 2018 the percentage of Australians who listen to online audio monthly has grown by nearly 50% to 78%.

Another 2022 radio listener survey concluded:

Over 4.9 million Australians every week tune into community radio.
30% of all radio listeners listen to community radio.
Listeners spend an average 14.5 hours listening to community radio each week.

News Consumption in Australia

Despite the rise of digital media, there are positive signs for the Australian news industry. Paying for digital news has increased, while print news consumption has risen for the first time in six years, according to a 2022 Digital News Report. It is worth noting, however, that this increase in print news consumption follows a long period of decline over the past six years.

If you’re ready to successfully diversify your media advertising strategy, get in touch with our team.

Sources

1. https://www.mi-3.com.au/14-11-2022/im-calling-it-2023-year-out-home
2. https://www.canberra.edu.au/research/faculty-research-centres/nmrc/digital-news-report-australia-2022
3. https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/rowland/media-release/new-research-shows-how-australians-access-media-content
4. https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/television/audiences/by-lifestyle-and-values/free-to-air-viewing
5. https://thinktv.com.au/facts-and-stats/tv-delivers-a-bigger-sales-impact/
6. https://www.cbaa.org.au/broadcasters/get-data-national-listener-survey-station-census/national-listener-survey-fact-sheets
7. https://www.billboardsaustralia.com.au/why--outdoor/statistics

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