By: A.R Manj
The TV Viewership Trends 2023-24 report highlights key changes in the television landscape in Pakistan, showcasing how audiences’ viewing habits have evolved over the past year. With a slight increase in daily average TV viewership minutes per person, the trends reflect a dynamic shift in consumption across regions, genres, and social-economic categories (SEC).
Overall Viewership Trends
The overall daily average TV viewership has seen a modest increase of 0.6% in FY 2023-24, compared to a decrease of 2% the previous year. This marks a reversal in the downward trend from the past fiscal year, signaling a slight recovery in TV consumption. While the rise is small, it’s indicative of the resilience of television as a medium, particularly in the face of growing digital competition.
Regional Insights: Karachi Leads, Urban Balochistan Lags
Viewership trends vary significantly across different regions and cities. Karachi continues to dominate the viewership chart with an average of 3.3 hours per day, while Urban Balochistan recorded the lowest at 2.6 hours per day. The report highlights that, in comparison to the previous year, viewership has dropped in Karachi by 9%, and similarly, Urban Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Non-Metro Sindh saw decreases. However, Lahore and Non-Metro Punjab experienced notable gains in viewership, with increases of 3.6% and 7.4%, respectively.
Genre Preferences: Entertainment and News Dominate
The genre breakdown shows that entertainment channels still hold the largest share of TV viewership at 41%, followed by news channels at 26%. Compared to the previous year, entertainment channels experienced a slight increase in their market share, while news channels saw a significant boost, up from 19% to 26%. Meanwhile, sports channels saw a decline in viewership, falling from last year’s prominence to a modest 10%.
Among the social-economic classes (SECs), SEC B emerged as the strongest in terms of viewership, overtaking SEC D, which held the top spot the previous year. This shift points to an evolving preference within middle-class households for content that is both entertaining and informative.
Detailed SEC-Based Viewership Trends
In terms of SEC-specific consumption patterns, the changes are notable:
- SEC A saw a decrease in overall viewership by 7.4%, with a significant drop in entertainment channel viewership, which fell by 12%.
- SEC B experienced a solid 5.5% increase in TV viewership, driven by a 26% rise in entertainment channel consumption.
- SEC C showed a slight decline in general viewership (-3.95%) but saw growth in both sports and movie channels.
- SEC D recorded an increase of 3.83% in overall viewership, primarily due to a surge in news channel consumption (+17%).
- SEC E had a marked drop in viewership, particularly in sports (-39%), though there was growth in regional content.
Channel Performance
The report also sheds light on the performance of leading TV channels across genres.
- Entertainment Channels: ARY Digital retains its top spot with a 32.2% share, followed by Geo Entertainment at 23.8% and Hum TV at 18.2%. The biggest shift this year is the entry of Green Entertainment into the top 10 list, capturing 5.4% of the viewership. Meanwhile, Geo Entertainment saw a decline in its share, dropping from 28.5% to 23.8%.
- News Channels: Geo News holds the largest share in the news category at 24.5%, followed by ARY News at 15.8%. There were some shifts here as well, with 24 News making its debut in the top 10 list at number 8, while Bol News saw a significant decline, dropping out of the top 5.
Viewership by Genre and Channel Trends
- Sports: A sharp decline in sports viewership is noted across all SECs, with SEC E experiencing the steepest drop at 39%. This is a noteworthy trend, considering that sports have traditionally been a dominant genre in Pakistani TV viewing.
- Movies: In contrast to sports, viewership for movie channels saw growth across all SECs, with the most significant increase observed in SEC B, where movie consumption rose by 56%. This trend highlights a growing appetite for cinematic content among middle-class viewers.
- Children’s Channels: Children’s TV channels saw a mild increase in viewership, with SEC B, D, and E showing the highest engagement. The increase was most prominent in SEC B, with a 44% rise in viewership.
- Religious Channels: Viewership of religious channels remained stable across most SECs, except SEC E, which saw a 100% increase, a trend worth monitoring for its cultural and demographic implications.
Conclusion: A Year of Mixed Trends
The TV Viewership Trends 2023-24 report provides a comprehensive snapshot of the evolving television consumption patterns in Pakistan. While overall viewership has slightly increased, regional and socio-economic disparities in viewing habits remain stark. Entertainment and news channels continue to dominate, with sports witnessing a sharp decline in popularity. Viewership is notably higher in urban centers like Karachi and Lahore, while certain regions like Urban Balochistan and Non-Metro Sindh lag behind.
The entrance of Green Entertainment into the top 10 and the rise of 24 News are noteworthy shifts, suggesting new trends and viewer preferences that could reshape the TV landscape in the coming years. As television faces increasing competition from digital platforms, these patterns could signal how traditional media adapts to the changing preferences of the Pakistani audience.
