<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>332384</docID> <postdate>2024-11-04 08:08:19</postdate> <headline>Aussies spend more on streaming but are watching less</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-318122" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pexels-cottonbro-4009401-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>The survey of thousands of media consumers across five generations found people spend as much time watching free-to-air TV as streaming services, and nearly three in four consumed some form of media first thing in the morning.</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Adrian Black</strong></span></p> <p><strong>Australians are spending more on media streaming services, but are watching less overall, a new study shows.</strong></p> <p>Media consumption is more than a full-time job for most Aussies, who consume an average of 44 hours of digital entertainment each week, according to Deloitte's annual media insights report.</p> <p>The survey of thousands of media consumers across five generations found people spend as much time watching free-to-air TV as streaming services, and nearly three in four consumed some form of media first thing in the morning.</p> <p>"Prime time means something different to everyone in 2024," Deloitte telecommunications, media and entertainment lead partner Peter Corbett said.</p> <p>"Streaming services are on the precipice of eclipsing traditional free-to-air television in popularity, while different formats are winning the battle for our attention at various times of the day."</p> <p>But as the burgeoning list of streaming players and TV channels vie for attention, people are watching less, especially younger generations.</p> <p>For generation Z, weekly consumption was down by a quarter on the year before, and by 10 per cent across the broader population.</p> <p>Subscriptions per household increased slightly to 3.3 this year, despite price hikes pushing the average monthly spend from $57 to $63.</p> <p>Though Gen Z households spend $88 a month on subscriptions – almost double that of baby boomers.</p> <p>At the same time, their social media use declined, falling from almost 13 hours to slightly more than 10 hours each week.</p> <p>Limiting younger people's access to social media had widespread support, with 90 per cent of respondents backing restrictions for 16-year-olds.</p> <p>Social media as a source of fact was also an area of concern.</p> <p>Most Aussies were skeptical of news consumed through social platforms, with about half trusting the source, compared to 73 per cent of respondents who had faith in traditional media.</p> <p>"Australians still retain considerable trust in legacy media platforms, with a strong preference for Australian-owned outlets," Mr Corbett said.</p> <p>TV news programs were the main source of news for more than a third of respondents, while 17 per cent got their news from social media.</p> <p>Only 28 per cent of respondents felt AI-generated content was a trustworthy news source.</p> </body>