German Daily audio-visual media usage breaks 10-hour mark
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| 06 February 2022
With an increase of 54 minutes over 2019 since the start of the pandemic with “unabated” demand for reliable information and entertainment, the daily hourly use of audio and audio-visual media in Germany increased in 2021 for the second year running says research from VAUNET.

Vuato 6Feb2022The study from the German media association, VAUNET Media Usage Analysis for 2021, found for the first time, people aged 14 and over in Germany consumed audio-visual media for an average of 10 hours per day. Daily use of television, radio and other audio-visual media grew over the previous year by 13 minutes to 10 hours (2020: 9 hours and 47 minutes) – 54 minutes longer than pre-pandemic use in 2019 (9 hours and 6 minutes).

Daily video consumption among Germans aged 14 and over totalled 5 hours and 53 minutes in 2021, another new record. Increasing by 7 minutes on the previous year (2020: 5 hours and 46 minutes), the amount of time spent watching video rose by 43 minutes compared to 2019. In a direct year-on-year comparison, although daily TV viewing declined slightly to 3 hours and 52 minutes (2020: 3 hours and 58 minutes), the study found that it remained above pre-crisis levels (2019: 3 hours and 47 minutes.

The popularity of online video continued to rise, with 72 minutes a day being watched by people aged 14 to 69 (2020: 59 minutes). Compared to pre-pandemic levels, the consumption of free online videos and paid video-on-demand content increased by 25 minutes (2019: 47 minutes.

“The increase in use of almost an hour a day during the pandemic years reflects the high need for reliable information and entertainment. It underlines the extremely high relevance of audio and audio-visual media for society at large,” said VAUNET Managing Director Frank Giersberg commenting on the VAUNET Media Usage Analysis for 2021 study. “At the same time, commercial media companies have suffered major economic challenges during the Covid pandemic. Safeguarding their finances and hence preserving diversity in the media will therefore be a crucial task for media policy over the next few years.”