Passing the baton: Audiences' personal data being handed off unintentionally
In the era of ever-evolving television viewing, understanding audience dynamics becomes increasingly complex. Gavin and Stacey and the return of Squid Game this Christmas offer a glimpse into these intricacies.
The BBC's Gavin and Stacey and Aardman Animations' Wallace & Gromit were standout hits over the festive period, with Squid Game recording impressive numbers for its second series on Boxing Day. The initial audience for episode 1 amounted to 4.6 million viewers, viewing it over a seven-day period.
As viewing habits continue to evolve, so too do the methods for reporting television ratings. Live event programming, primarily sport, is primarily watched on the day of the event, with audiences reported overnight. Other programming gains viewers over days and weeks following their launch, while some eagerly anticipated shows require multiple considerations.
Gavin and Stacey serves as an exemplary illustration of this trend. The series finale attracted an overnight audience of 12.4 million on television, placing it among the most-watched programs of the year. However, this figure only tells half the story, as the show's audience grew significantly over time, surpassing 20 million by January 5th. Additionally, the audience away from TV surpassed 750,000 by New Year's Day.
In light of this, broadcasters and on-demand streaming services have increasingly focused on 28-day audience figures, or even longer in some cases. Squid Game also demonstrates this, as the overseas nature of the series necessitates the consideration of English-dubbed and original Korean language viewers. By combining these audiences, we arrive at the figures mentioned earlier.
The pursuit of larger audiences is not a new phenomenon, and fragmentation remains a concern in the industry. Despite an initial prediction of accelerated fragmentation, the number of programs achieving an audience of over 1 million on Christmas Day itself increased slightly in 2024 compared to the preceding year, reaching 37 programs, though still below the figures from 2014 and 2015.
In essence, viewer behavior is becoming more complex, and the role of on-demand streaming and international content is significant in this progression. The media landscape is becoming increasingly fragmented, and more comprehensive and nuanced methods are required to capture engagement across different platforms and cultures. The evolution of TV measurement will likely involve more sophisticated tools in the future, helping brands to better understand their audiences in this highly fragmented environment.
The BBC's Gavin and Stacey showcases the evolving media landscape, as it initially attracted an overnight television audience of 12.4 million but later grew to over 20 million viewers within a month. On the other hand, the streaming sensation Squid Game presents a challenge in audience measurement due to its international distribution, requiring the consideration of both English-dubbed and original Korean language viewers.
