Telly Mad Brits Watch a Staggering 1,344 Hours of TV a Year (the Equivalent of 56 Days) According to New Research

LONDON, UK – 8^th January, 2021 – A new survey into the nation’s TV viewing habits reveals that, on average, Brits currently spend 28 hours of every week glued to their tellies, clocking up to 112 hours a month.

Commissioned by Samsung UK, the research shows that as many as 86 percent of the 2,000 Brits surveyed said having good things to watch this January and February would help them get through the bleaker winter months.

With 80 percent of the British nation having enjoyed watching more TV during 2020, the research reveals that in 2021, the average UK household is set to enjoy 20 box set episodes, eight sit-coms, seven soap opera episodes and five football matches per month. A fifth of those polled said that in 2021 they could not live without their TVs.

In an average month this year, viewers will also enjoy 11 reruns of their favourite shows, eight films, seven game shows and six reality shows – as well as a staggering 63 YouTube videos.

The research also uncovers that over the period of a month, people will fall asleep in front of the TV three times, have four family feuds over what to watch, snuggle up with a furry friend five times and spill something on the carpet at least four times.

Moreover, the research into TV habits reveals that the soap opera capital of the UK is officially Bristol, where residents will indulge in nine episodes of their favourite soap each month.

Meanwhile it was revealed that hardcore football fans are most likely to be found in Newcastle upon Tyne, watching up to six matches a month.

And the True Crime genre TV capital of the UK is revealed to be London, with Brits in the city set to enjoy eight episodes each month.

The research also found that the nation is shifting from watching traditional terrestrial TV to using more modern streaming platforms. While two thirds of Britons aged 60 and over still prefer to use the traditional TV channels (65 percent), overall 46 percent of the nation favours Netflix, with 58 percent of 16-29 year olds saying they use this platform more than anything else when watching their favourite shows.

Other popular streaming platforms across the UK include Amazon Prime (12 percent), Disney+ (seven percent) and BBC iPlayer (six percent).

The old saying “Laughter is the best medicine” certainly rings true across the nation, as over half of the population (58 percent) will be watching comedy shows to help keep spirits up throughout the beginning of the year.

In fact, viewers will laugh until they cry at least four times a month, with 49 percent admitting comedy is their favourite type of programme to watch. This was closely followed by cookery shows (25 percent), nature programmes (24 percent) and travel shows (23 percent).

Deep Halder, Head of TV/AV Retail & Content Services, Samsung Electronics UK Ltd said: “As the nation is set to spend even more time at home this year, many of us will be turning to our TVs to provide some comfort and light relief during these times.

At Samsung, we’re always listening to what our customers desire from their viewing experiences and with almost half turning to comedy shows, we’re proud to have recently launched Samsung’s own Comedy channel via Samsung TV Plus – our exclusive service which offers Smart TV owners instant access to over 80 live and on-demand TV channels for free, guaranteeing endless entertainment options.”

The survey also showed that selecting what to view on TV isn’t always plain sailing, with the average Brit spending 12 minutes per day bickering over what to watch, and 16 minutes flicking through the channels. The biggest frustration, however, is often finding the remote in the first place, with the research revealing that we spend 12 minutes every day searching for the elusive item.

To find out more about Samsung’s TV portfolio, from its pioneering QLED 8K TVs offering state-of-the-art technology, to its impeccably stylish range of lifestyle TVs with innovative features, please visit www.samsung.com/uk/.