News Is Still The Local Favorite
TVREV’s latest report – Local TV: Perils & Promise In the Age of Streaming – reveals that local broadcast audiences of all ages are still tuning in primarily for the evening news, despite conventional thinking around sports driving broadcast viewership.
- News viewership for those over 65 (59%) is almost double what it is for those 25-34 (30%). Sports is also a draw for those 35 and up, but it is not nearly as popular as local news.
- Even among older demos, prime time broadcast is not a major reason to watch local TV, with only 34% of those over 65 reporting they watch prime time. One potential reason may be that viewers associate primetime with the network rather than the affiliate that runs it.
- Alan Wolk posits that local news is still a major draw and local broadcasters are smart in making it the focus of their streaming efforts.