This document breaks down television audiences into various demographic groups and provides information about each group's TV viewing habits and preferences. It discusses men and women of different ages (16-34, ABC1, C2DE, 55+), as well as housewives with children and children in general. For each group, it outlines things like how much TV they watch, when they watch, favorite genres and channels. Sports, news, soaps and reality shows are popular among many groups. Children like cartoons, music channels and content aimed at adults. Differences exist between boys and girls in their TV tastes as they age.

1. Laura Lee+
BREAKING DOWN A TV AUDIENCE

2.  Men 16-34
 Men ABC1
 Men C2 DE
 Men 55+
 Women 16-34
 Women ABC1
 Women C2 DE
 Women 55+
 Housewives with children
 Children
 Boys & TV
 Girls & TV
BREAKDOWN OF AUDIENCE

3. Young men are traditionally seen as the more difficult audience to reach
through TV, and although they don't spend as much time watching television
as women of the same age, it undoubtedly plays a significant role in their
lives.
Young men remain one of the lightest viewing audiences of TV, and also one
of the most profitable. Viewing is centred around their interests and daily
schedules and as a result, weeknight viewing is high, particularly during late
peak. This group are more likely to watch post-pub than any other, where
comedies and general entertainment feature highly, suiting the mood
perfectly. Sharing of the remote is also less likely (as many young women will
no doubt testify) especially at weekend where sports dominate the schedule.
Predictably, sports are one of the main drivers of viewing against this
audience. The Sky platform is popular. 80 per cent have access to digital and
around 12 per cent subscribe to Sky+ - well above the all-adults average. Sky
Sports, Sky Sports News, Channel 4 and Dave rate amongst the preferred
channels, revealing their propensity for sports, (Football, Formula 1) comedy,
(8 Out of 10 Cats, The Big Bang Theory) and factual (The News).
MEN 16-34

4. There are 12.6 million ABC1 men in Britain, accounting for just under a
quarter of all adults. Unsurprisingly, men in this group consume vast
quantities of media.
Although this audience is generally time-poor, TV still forms a staple part
of their week. Weekend viewing is significantly higher, with 32 per cent
of it occurring on Saturdays and Sundays (indicative of their love of
sport) and predictably weekday viewing is focused around peak. In
addition to sport, men tend to tune into documentaries and news during
the week, although water-cooler also draw them in.
Upmarket men love the idea of being able to access a barrage of
channels and as a result, are very receptive to digital TV. Conversely,
however, they are inclined to believe that a growth in TV stations is
diluting the quality of TV. However, they continue to take full advantage
of its services, interacting with both programmes and ads alike and
paying for content such as a sports and films. As sport provides the crux
of their viewing, Sky is the most accessed platform and favourite
channels include Sky Sports, Sky Sports News and ITV4.
MEN ABC1

5. This is an exceptionally large and therefore diverse demographic group that includes
over eleven million men in the UK. Unlike C2DE women, men in this bracket are more
likely to be footloose and fancy free or to continue working after the birth of their
children. As a result, their media habits generally remain more constant, irrespective
of age.
TV forms an integral part of their lives. Although their TV consumption is generally
more content-led (they are less likely to channel hop for the sake of it than women)
over half of them are classed as medium to heavy viewers. In fact, they watch more
TV during the week than on the weekend although this is still higher than the adult
average.
Although sport forms a sizable chunk of their TV viewing and their weekends are
dominated by sporting events (particularly football, rugby and F1), they also watch a
good range of other genres, including Films, general entertainment, reality and
comedy. ITV, five, Discovery and Sky One rank amongst the favourite channels, in
addition to the specialist sports stations such as Eurosport and Sky Sports. Their
programming tastes are varied. Perhaps surprisingly, a quarter of this group regularly
watch Coronation Street, whilst the documentaries on five and event programming
such as Big Brother, I'm a Celebrity, Lost and Desperate Housewives also have
significant appeal.
MEN C2DE

6. In an age where we're all living longer, 60 is no longer the milestone that it
used to be and the differences in attitude between the older and younger
generations are becoming increasingly less distinct. Once undesirable, this
group is gaining prominence amongst marketers as it continues to expand in
size and profitability. There are now over 8.2 million men over the age of 55
in the UK.
Although we are working later in life than ever before, the majority of men
over the age of 55 are retired and therefore have significantly more free time
than they did when they were younger. They have longer to spend on the
things that they enjoy and this is reflected in their media consumption.
Their programme tastes are varied, although they do consume a high
proportion of news content. Although reluctant to admit it, they appreciate
entertainment programming (particularly Coronation Street and Parkinson)
and these programmes often form the basis of shared viewing with their
family and friends. Game shows (including Countdown and Millionaire),
special interest programmes such as Gardener's World, documentaries and
sport provide the bulk of their viewing schedules.
MEN 55+

7. By definition, young women have an incredibly broad set of media tastes and preferences.
More than any other group, this is not just a matter of individual inclination but also life -
stage - a young first-time mum will undoubtedly have a different set of objectives to a
career focused woman or a student with fewer family ties. However, regardless of whether a
woman spends the morning watching CBeebies with her toddler, the chances are she'll
spend the evening using the TV as valuable 'me -time' in just the same way as a woman
who's spent her week in an office.
Young women are big consumers of media on the whole, engaging with a variety of
platforms on a daily basis. Compared to men of the same age group, young women
generally consume more TV, with nearly half falling into the medium to heavy viewer
categories. Predictably, for those with children, daytime viewing is an integral part of their
day, with significant peaks during school hours. Late peak also provides a prime viewing
opportunity with this group and just as importantly, conversational currency. Shows such as
Desperate Housewives form integral foundations of viewing and as a barrage of research
demonstrates, young women utilise TV content within conversation to a staggering degree,
particularly reality shows such as Peter Andre: My Life and some high impact dramas.
Young women are less likely to have Sky and more inclined to have Freeview than men of
the same age. To some degree, this disparity is fuelled by sports access. Only 12 per cent
of women claim to have paid to access a sporting event - half the amount of men. Instead,
women generally favour more socially led -content, such as soaps, drama, reality and
entertainment and as such are high consumers of channels such as Channel 4, E4, ITV 2,
Living and MTV.
WOMEN 16-34

8. Unlike younger women, upmarket women have a higher tendency to have children in the
household and are more likely to be separated or divorced than their male counterparts. Age
undoubtedly proves a factor in this as a large proportion of ABC1 women are over the age of
thirty therefore have more settled home -lives than they did in their twenties. As a result of their
family status, the majority of ABC1 women juggle part -time work with parenthood and many stay
at home to care for their children. ABC1 women are much less likely to work full time than
younger women - again this is a reflection of their demanding family lives.
Upmarket women account for just under 30 per cent of all adults and are more likely to live in
the south of England (especially London).
Women in this bracket value T V, although they don't rely on it or regard it as a pastime. This
attitude is largely reflected in their tastes and habits. They are much more inclined to watch
during late peak when the kids have gone to bed. This is fairly stable throughout the week.
Interestingly, this demographic are more susceptible to time -shifted viewing than their male
counterparts. Again, their demanding schedules are likely to dictate what they watch and when.
In spite of being pre-disposed towards terrestrial, digital channels rank amongst their favourites.
E4, UKT V Style and Living rate alongside Channel 4, IT V and the BBC in terms of preference.
Programming tastes vary with documentaries leading the way including Supersize vs Superskinny
with event dramas such as Desperate Housewives also form the staples of their viewing. It is
interesting to note that children's channels don't rate as highly amongst this audience as for
Women 16-34. Again, this reflects the tendency of upmarket women to have older children whose
tastes are developing beyond the realms of just kids' T V.
WOMEN ABC1

9. With over 11.5 million C2DE women currently living in the UK, this is one of the largest
demographic audiences. It encompasses women from across the age spectrum, from young
mums to retirees. For this reason, the range of tastes and preferences within this group are
broad.
Due to the differentiation between the individuals that fall into this bracket, media slots
into their lives in a host of different ways. TV provides a common thread, however and is a
staple part of their media diets - indeed almost 20 per cent are self-confessed TV addicts!
As a result, over half of all C2DE women like the idea of having lots of TV channels and
appreciate the choice that digital viewing offers them.
ITV and Five rank amongst their favourite channels, although digital channels such as ITV2,
E4 and Living TV also do well. Children’s channels such as Nickelodeon and Cartoon
Network are also watched regularly reflecting the high amount of shared viewing between
mums and children. Unsurprisingly, soaps and dramas (such as Hollyoaks) perform well
against this audience. The X-Factor, I'm a Celebrity and Loose Women are all part of the
staple viewing of this audience.
This group are active ‘interactors’! Nearly a quarter regularly interact with their TVs for
reasons ranging from programme content to checking the weather. They are also inclined to
think interactivity is a good idea. However, they are less driven by interactive advertising
than their male counterparts and for this reason, interactive ads need to have a strong
appeal in order to encourage them to work with the advertisement.
WOMEN C2DE

10. As the population lives longer, people's attitudes are staying younger. Whereas 55 may
have been considered old a few decades ago, this is no longer the case. With nearly over 9
million women over the age of 55 living in the UK today, this large demographic is set to
continue expanding and is likely to become ever more appealing to advertisers as a result .
Generally, women in this age bracket are more time -rich than they were when they were
younger. Although they still place a significant emphasis on their family and homes, by the
time they reach 55 there is a likelihood that their offspring will have flown the nest
altogether. With this new -found freedom, mature women use media in very different ways
than their younger counterparts - the need to cram viewing around certain day parts and in
amongst other activities is significantly lessened.
A third of this group relies on TV to keep informed about the world around them and the
same amount cites TV as their favourite pastime. However, one of the main attitudinal
differences between this group and those in the younger age brackets is that TV can be
seen as a guilty pleasure. Although mature women generally rely upon it for information
and entertainment (and as a result are one of the heaviest viewing groups) they are some
of the most reluctant to admit it!
ITV (and its multi-channel extensions) rank amongst the most watched commercial stations
for mature women, GMTV is their most popular choice in the morning. They also appreciate
the BBC's output (particularly the Antiques Roadshow, the 10 o'clock News and Bargain
Hunt), but tend to turn to commercial channels for news and general entertainment. Half of
this group watch Coronation Street, Midsomer Murders and the ITV news regularly.
WOMEN 55+

11. There are currently over 6.7 million housewives with kids in the UK. Although there is an obvious
cross-over between women 16 -34 and ABC1 women, there are also some key points of
dif ferentiation.
Firstly, housewives with kids are incredibly media -savvy and exposed to host of dif ferent formats
and messages per day. 36 per cent of this audience cite T V viewing as their favourite T V pastime
and as a result, over 80 per cent have access to digital, well above the national average. This
partially reflect the ef fect of having children in the household (digital take -up is higher amongst
young families) but is also indicative of their love of T V as a whole, not only during family time,
but as valuable 'me time' away from the kids. Commercial channels are particularly well -received
and account for two thirds of their viewing. IT V 2, Living T V, UKT V Style, E4 and the children's
channels such as Cartoon Network are amongst their favourites .
In general housewives with kids have a preference for soaps. Unsurprisingly, Coronation Street
EastEnders and Emmerdale are the biggest programmes in terms of volume. Drama and
entertainment (especially The X Factor and The Simpsons) also features highly and kids
programming is twice as popular amongst this audience than with adults as a whole. Religion,
sport and political broadcasts tend to turn this audience of f but reality serves the opposite
function (especially Big Brother.) News content is also less popular, with many women citing
news to be more upsetting when they've had children of their own .
Although housewives with kids have the same tendencies to watch in peak as other
demographics, they also watch throughout the day, providing ample targeting opportunities. T V if
of ten used as an accompaniment to other activities, particularly household chores - this group
are skilled multi-taskers. They also use T V time as time -out from their daily schedules. Breakfast
viewing is high, usually to GMT V when the household kicks into gear and the kids are getting
ready for school. Cof fee time (0925 -1200) is also popular, with chat ( eg. Lorraine) and magazine
formats such as This Morning proving appealing in terms of both entertainment and information.
Post school also works well, particularly as a time for shared viewing, where kids and mums can
be reached simultaneously
HOUSEWIVES WITH CHILDREN

12. Kids continue to race to maturity at an astonishing rate. They have
complex social networks, formed both inside and outside the home
through everything from school to online social media. They also soak -up
new technology, with most showing none of the trepidation in relation to
new developments that their parents experience. In fact, technology is
firmly rooted at the heart of children's lives.
In recent years, the entertainment options available to them have
exploded - not least in terms of TV where they have a dazzling array of
channels available to them through the digital network.
For both boys and girls, music channels, children's channels, sport and
film are the main drivers of viewing, although there is some variation
between the sexes on the genres consumed. In terms of programming,
there are significant variations by gender, but even in multi-channel
homes, EastEnders and The Simpsons remain firm favourites amongst
both sexes. Increasingly, and especially as children develop, content
aimed at adults becomes firmly embedded in the viewing habits of kids.
CHILDREN

13. Boys are less inclined to watch BBC1 than girls but their
consumption of five is higher.
Sky One is a firm favourite amongst this audience, particularly the
13-14s where it watched by nearly 60 per cent of them. Perhaps
surprisingly, news channels are appealing to boys with 27 per cent
of 11-16 year olds tuning in. Music and kids channels are as
equally important to boys as to girls and continue to form the crux
of their viewing. Boys are particularly avid consumers of cartoons
with 30 per cent claiming to have watched a cartoon channel in
the last week. Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and The Disney
Channel remain firm favourites.
Although there is some variation by age, cartoons still rank highly
with boys under the age of 12. As they hit their teen years, sports
and music become the main focus.
BOYS & TV

14. Girls claim to watch 2.4 hours of TV per day, although this increases as they mature
and their tastes switch to a broader range of genres such as soaps and reality.
Virtually all have access to digital with over 80 per cent claiming to have watched
BBC1 or ITV in the last week, although they still watch high levels of terrestrial. 65
per cent of girls have a DVD player in their rooms (Boys are more likely to have DVDs,
perhaps as they demand newer technology). Channel 4 proves more popular with girls
than boys, largely due to content such as Hollyoaks and Big Brother.
Digitally, ITV2 is proving an increasing favourite for girls, especially amongst the 15 -
16 year olds. However, their tastes are varied and music, movies, news and
documentaries also feature strongly on their programming radars. Drama, soaps,
comedy and sitcoms (usually aimed at adults) provide the basis of most of their
viewing and this distinguishes them most from boys who favour cartoons.
As girls develop, so do their tastes. Until the age of 9, girls favour children's channels
and cartoons, but music rapidly takes over as they near their teens. As they move
through their teenage years, music becomes the primary focus, particularly MTV and
the pop based channels, although the older element become more susceptible to
entertainment programming across channels like ITV2, Trouble and E4
GIRLS & TV