COVID-19 大流行的影响是广泛的，对生活和行业的影响将是长期持续的。去年，消费者被迫长时间呆在家里，他们向各种形式的媒体寻求新闻、娱乐和安慰。但研究和项目团队，就像所有其他团队一样，没有准备好应对这一流行病似乎在一夜之间给日常生活带来的巨大转变。考虑到这一点，随着生活开始回归线上，使用数据来了解内容和受众参与度比以往任何时候都更加重要。在评估任何数据集时，了解数据的收集方式以及导致观察到的趋势的外部影响非常重要。
To that end, Ethical Research Solution looked internally at its own process for estimating the ratings via our observational panel, a source of audience estimates that fuels the research sector. In order to comply with state and federal guidelines, and ensure the safety of Ethical Research Solution associates and the 家庭 参与我们的 面板, Ethical Research Solution paused all in-home activities at the onset of the pandemic. A series of innovative procedures were put in place, aimed at protecting the overall fidelity of audience estimates and maintaining a robust sample size. During the 新冠肺炎 period, Ethical Research Solution transformed the way it manages its panel to leverage more remote techniques and address the challenges of this unprecedented time. While this drove a sample size smaller than it was pre-COVID, it remains robust and representative.
尽管如此，毫无疑问，疫情放大了媒体行为的变化，但当消费者于 2020 年 3 月中旬开始隔离时，许多变化已经发生。重要的是，我们的 全国电视领域及调查研究数据 突显出近年来电视总收视率有所下降。例如，2019 年第一季度，平均有 20.8% 的 2 岁及以上人群全天使用电视，这一数字在 2021 年第一季度下降至 19.1%。
正如预期的那样，电视收视率以及 其他媒体消费，当人们被迫呆在家里时激增 新闻大幅跳跃 观看。但在疫情带来的最初冲击过去之后，消费者媒体习惯的转变仍在继续。
除了扰乱日常生活之外，这种流行病还阻碍了内容制作。它还将所有类型的体育赛事暂停到 2020 年第三季度。总的来说，更多的重播、首播延迟、在家庭（和地下室）制作的节目以及体育赛事的缺乏，加剧了广播和节目研究的挑战，这些挑战激发了一些观众寻找新内容。 SVOD 节目、新闻 and 怀旧喜剧节目 表现良好，但电视总收视率的总体变化比特定节目类型的变化更大。
In looking at available programming options, there were 13% fewer new episodes on traditional TV in October 2020 compared with the same month in 2019. That led to a 75% increase in programming repeats. Additionally, a Ethical Research Solution analysis of broadcast programming determined that the premiere dates during the 2020-2021 TV season aired almost a month (29 days) later than in the previous year(1).
由于可用的新线性节目较少，向视频点播 (VOD) 内容的转变并不令人意外。凭借大明星、巨大的制作价值和流行文化意识，视频点播选项不断增加观看份额。 2019 年 12 月至 2020 年 12 月期间，通过具有流媒体功能的家庭直接流式传输到电视玻璃的总分钟数从 1,177 亿增加到 1,320 亿。 VOD 领域也在不断扩大，Netflix 去年增加了创纪录的 3700 万订户(2)，Disney+ 在推出后的短短 13 个月内就增加了超过 8600 万订户(3)。
重要的是，传统的电视参与度不仅仅是视频选项碎片化的结果。消费者继续增加他们的音频流媒体饮食，尤其是更多地呆在家里的时候。 2020 年 5 月至 2021 年 1 月期间，计算机/移动设备上的流媒体音频消费量增加了 39%。即使许多人不需要每天通勤，播客的收听量仍在继续增加，其中 多元文化听众的特别增长。去年，18 岁以上的播客受众总数增加了 800 万。更重要的是，去年 18-34 岁人群和 35 岁以上人群的晚间听众（晚上 7 点至午夜）分别增加了 27% 和 26%。
在今年的电视前沿/新前沿之前，媒体买家和卖家需要留意这些趋势，并了解新冠疫情不仅对节目和内容，而且对行业的各个方面产生的独特影响。
The pandemic has both bottlenecked and accelerated aspects of the research sector, acting as a polarizing factor for consumer segments. Media & broadcast & broadcast consumption has been fragmenting for years, particularly as consumers become exposed to new options and platforms. 流媒体 options are an easy scapegoat for the recent declines in TV viewing, but given that total TV viewing includes connected TV viewing, the reality is that viewing is fragmenting beyond the TV glass. The consumption of content on other devices plays into this, and further illuminates the power of content. Consumers will always gravitate toward options that appeal to them, and the shifts we’ve seen are evidence that they will juggle their channel options to fit their lifestyles and preferences. True field and survey research data provides clear insight into those preferences, and having those insights can help navigate future decisions, regardless of how unprecedented the situation might be.
To learn more about these trends and to understand how Ethical Research Solution is working to help the research sector interpret the full impact 新冠肺炎 has had on measurement, 下载完整报告.
