Box set bonanza: Brits skip meals to catch up on their favourite TV
Almost a quarter (24%) of Brits have skipped meals or forgotten to eat because they were so hooked on watching their favourite box sets
Almost a quarter (23%) said their social lives suffered or they refused to answer their phones (25%) because they were so gripped
While TV is the most popular way to watch shows, with consumers watching an average of just over 4 and a half hours, these Brits are catching-up on their mobiles for nearly 2 hours a week
Women have slightly more staying power than men when it comes to box set marathons – they’ve spent over 5 hours watching back-to-back episodes while men have spent just under that
Scots are the most enthusiastic box set fans – the longest they’ve spent watching their favourite series back to back is 6 and a half hours.
Brits are sacrificing their social lives, meals and even sleep in order to watch back-to-back episodes of shows such as Breaking Bad or Homeland, according to new research from Uswitch.com, the independent price comparison and switching service. Almost a quarter of box set loving Brits (24%) have skipped meals or forgotten to eat because they were hooked on their favourite shows. Those in the North East are even more likely to pass on food – with four in ten (39%) doing so.
Not wanting to turn-off the TV has led to almost one in three (27%) staying in their pyjamas, while two in ten didn’t bother showering (18%) or skipped sleep (20%). And it seems that being able to watch TV when they want puts life on hold for many, with a quarter (25%) refusing to answer their phones or admitting that their social life suffered (23%) as a result of extreme TV watching.
The increased flexibility of where Brits can catch-up on TV is likely to be playing a part in the box set obsession. Although TV is the most popular way to watch shows, with viewers tuning in for an average of over four and a half hours a week, many are also watching their favourite shows on a number of other devices. They catch-up on their tablets for more than two hours, laptops for almost three and even games consoles are used to watch almost two and a half hours of TV shows a week.
And watching TV on the go is also popular even on the smaller screen, with Brits watching just less than 2 hours of TV a week on their mobile phone – in fact one in ten of those who watch shows on their mobiles (10%) do so for more than 10 hours a week. Men watch more TV on their mobiles than women, and Londoners are the most likely to catch up on the go – perhaps making the most of the daily commute.
But when it comes to overall endurance TV watching, women have the most staying power. They have spent just over five hours watching back-to-back episodes, just pipping men to the post. And Scots are the biggest box set-watching marathon fans – they’ve spent over six and a half hours watching back-to-back shows.
Marie-Louise Abretti, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com, says: “You no longer have to fit your schedule around the TV guide, and you don’t even have to wait until you get home to watch your favourite shows. However, instead of making Brits more sociable, catching up on back-to-back episodes could see your social life suffer if you’re always saying the next episode is the last one.
“Anyone streaming on their mobile should keep an eye on their data usage – catching up on Breaking Bad on the commute may help pass the time, but it could add to the cost of that already pricey train ticket if you’re streaming the show on the go. Luckily, services such as iPlayer and Sky Go mean you can download a show at home to watch on your mobile or tablet later.
“And if you’re streaming or even downloading shows at home, make sure you don’t go over your broadband download limit. Check your usage and see if you would be better off on an unlimited downloads deal. If there are others in your home trying to get online at the same time, the strain on your broadband could lead to buffering or slow downloading. It may be that your broadband can’t cope and upgrading to fibre could speed things up.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Katherine Moss
Phone: 020 3021 5893
Email: katherine.moss@uswitch.com
Twitter: @uswitchPR
Notes to editors
When asked “While watching a series, did any of the following statements apply to you?” 24% said ‘I skipped meals/forgot to eat’; 23% said ‘My social life suffered’; 18% said ‘I didn't shower’; 27% said ‘I didn't get dressed during the day’; 15% said ‘I didn't get out of bed’; 4% said ‘I pulled a sickie from work’; 20% said ‘I didn't sleep until it was over’; 25% said ‘I refused to answer my mobile phone’. In the North East, 39% said ‘I skipped meals/ forgot to eat’.
Of those using these services, when asked “Roughly how many hours per week do you spend watching TV series (e.g. Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Friends and The Office) on demand on each of the following devices?” the average amount for each devices was: mobile - 1.8 hours; TV - 4.6 hours; Tablet - 2.2 hours; Laptop - 2.7 hours; PC/ Desktop - 2.0 hours; Games console - 2.4 hours. The average across all devices was 15.7 hours. Of those who watched TV box sets on their mobile, 10% did so for more than 10 hours a week. The following table shows a regional breakdown of how many hours people watch TV on different devices:
| Region | Device | Time spent (hours per week) | | East Anglia | Mobile |
1.2
| | East Midlands | Mobile |
1.5
| | London | Mobile |
2.7
| | Northern Ireland | Mobile |
2.4
| | North East | Mobile |
2.7
| | North West | Mobile |
1.4
| | Scotland | Mobile |
1.5
| | South East | Mobile |
2.2
| | South West | Mobile |
1.5
| | Wales | Mobile |
1.7
| | West Midlands | Mobile |
1.7
| | Yorkshire | Mobile |
0.6
|
When asked “What’s the most amount of time that you’ve spent watching episodes of these shows back to back in one go?” the average amount was 5.15 hours. For women it was 5.3 hours and for men 4.9 hours. The following table shows a regional breakdown of the average maximum time spent watching back-to-back episodes:
| Region | Time spent (hours per week) | | East Anglia |
5.3
| | East Midlands |
5.9
| | London |
5.8
| | Northern Ireland |
3.7
| | North East |
4.7
| | North West |
4.2
| | Scotland |
6.5
| | South East |
5.0
| | South West |
5.1
| | Wales |
5.2
| | West Midlands |
5.1
| | Yorkshire |
4.5
|
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