The figures, contained in recent Television Audience Measurement (TAM) ratings from Nielsen, show sharpest viewership falls in the key advertising demographics of 15 to 34-year-olds and housekeepers with children. The TV advertising market is worth an estimated €200m a year in Ireland.
The figures measure the period between 2013 and 2015. They indicate that Irish people may be moving away from live scheduled TV to devices such as phones, tablets and smart video players in escalating numbers.
The figures come in the same week that telecoms firm Eir paid an undisclosed sum for Setanta Sports to boost its rivalry with Sky and Virgin in Ireland. Also, recent research from the Irish telecoms regulator Comreg shows that a majority of the estimated 150,000 new subscribers to VOD service Netflix have switched off scheduled television or lessened their viewing.
Source : Independent