95% homes in South India have a TV: BARC India
The total TV penetration is highest in Southern India with 95% of homes in the five states owning a television set, a survey stated. The Broadcast India 2018 survey carried out by television rating agency Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India noted that the number of TV-owning individuals in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala is 259 million, up 8% from 2016.
Survey was conducted on 3 lakh households
The TV owning individuals in North India is 209 million, West is 221 million, and East is 146 million. The survey covered 3 lakh households, approximately 4,300 towns/villages and 68% of the urban market.
In India, total TV penetration stands at 66%
"While total TV penetration in India currently stands at 66%, TV penetration in South India is as high as 95%," BARC India Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Partho Dasgupta said. "This can also be attributed to the fact that electrification in South is around 99.9% and one of the first durables which people buy having electricity is TV," Dasgupta added.
South Indians daily spend 4 hours 10 minutes on TV
The South has been witnessing a year-on-year growth in average time spent on TV, with 8 out of 10 people sampling TV daily and a high time spent of 4 hours 10 minutes. The southern region also generates viewership of around 12 billion impressions at a weekly level and 31% of the TV individuals in South contribute to 40% of total TV viewership.
Average family size for TV homes
As per the survey, at an all India level, the average family size for TV homes is 4.25 individuals. In South, this is much lower at 3.8 individuals per household, reflecting that families in the South are much more nuclear in nature.
Around 30% homes in South have working female members
The survey observed that close to 30% of homes in South have their female members working either full time or part-time. The ratio further improves in rural where 35% of homes have their women working. It also noted that among the TV homes in South, 9 out of 10 New Consumer Classification System A (NCCS A) homes own a refrigerator, too.
In South India, socio-economic profiles of homes have also improved
"The socio-economic profiles of homes in South India...improved as compared to 2016," the report said. Affluent (NCCS A) TV homes have increased by 9% and upper middle class (NCCS B) ones by 15%. Meanwhile, TV homes with lower socio-economic profiles (NCCS D/E) dropped by 7%. "Nuclear families, increasing middle class, and rising disposable incomes are helping households move across the affluence chain," it added.
