The Association of Television Organizations (ATO) is celebrating PeopleMeter Day on June 2! Viewership in 2024 remains stable and the average TV viewership in the Czech Republic even surpassed the European average last year.
4. 6. 2024
In addition, the average time spent watching TV (ATS) saw a year-on-year increase this May: the domestic World Cup uncompromisingly drew viewers to the screen despite the beautiful spring weather. Over 4 million people watched the final minutes of the final against Switzerland on TV screens and another quarter of a million watched live online on other devices.
The cross-platform electronic measurement of audience and content consumption (PCEM) project, which is the most extensive media research in the Czech Republic, celebrated its 27th anniversary on Sunday 2 June. The project was launched under the umbrella of the Association of Television Organisations in 1997.
Since 2002, the Nielsen research agency has ensured the project’s stability, quality and timely daily delivery of TV viewership data. The core remains a representative panel of measured households. The size of the panel has tripled since 1997 and now stands at 1 900 households. A total of 59 daily self-reported television stations are currently included in the measurement conducted under the ATO umbrella. However, the ATO also provides a space to verify TV viewership for new broadcasters, especially small stations in the form of one-off reports from the PCEM project.
1 June 2024 marks exactly one year since Michal Jordan joined the ATO as Managing Director.
Europe versus Czech Republic
TV viewing in the Czech Republic in 2023 reached an average daily value of 3 hours and 19 minutes in the 4+ target group. This exceeds the European average of 3 hours and 13 minutes, as reported in the Glance One TV Year in The World 2023.
Infographic: ATS for 4+ in 2023 – Europe vs. Czech Republic
The share of delayed viewing in total TV viewing on TV sets has been growing over the long term: it already accounted for 11 % in 2023. Overall TV viewing is further boosted by online viewing on other devices, which is particularly evident among younger target groups, especially those aged 15-24.
Record May
May’s Average Total Viewing Time (ATS) surpassed the viewership of 2023. The World Cup was a major contributor to this, providing a fantastic experience for Czech viewers. The final match, in which the Czech Republic became World Champion, was the icing on the cake of the ratings.
Infographic: Hockey World Cup Final 2024
Translation: Over 4 million spectators watched the last minutes of the World Cup final.
Infographic: ATS May 2023 and 2024 for 4+ , Average time spent watching TV in hours
PCEM project currently
Data from the PCEM project are available for the entire period of TV viewership measurement through software tools, including data from complementary media and lifestyle surveys such as the Continuous Survey (CS) and the Lifestyle Survey (LSS). The key software tool for processing these data is currently Adwind Kite. However, TV data can also be processed using other technologies, such as software from Lerach and TechEdge. The ATO, in collaboration with the project implementer PCEM, is monitoring changes in the distribution and trends in the way TV and TV content is viewed and reflecting these through the ongoing development of the project. For example, the measurement of Smart TV applications was launched earlier this year. A hot topic is the possible extension of the project to measure viewing outside the home (e.g. at cottages or restaurants), which is one of the current trends abroad.
How does Michal Jordan see the future of the PCEM project and what is he looking forward to in 2024?
I believe that, even in a period of ongoing technological change and changing viewing habits, TV measurement will continue to be a fixed point in the media market that will credibly capture all new trends in the future. I look forward to seeing some further extensions to the project that will allow us to further improve its parameters and increase its scope. Only video content that can be reliably measured is of commercial and social relevance.
How does Petr Matyáštík, Market Leader Nielsen, see the future of the PCEM project and what is he looking forward to in 2024?
Measuring TV viewership in the Czech Republic is an extremely important project for Nielsen, one that we are very excited about and are trying to move forward. By operating on a global level and measuring TV viewership in many countries around the world, as well as having a deep knowledge of the local market, we bring a broader view of current events to the project and try to use the best practices for the Czech environment. And I’m curious to see how this year’s major sporting events will bend the numbers on viewership for 2024.