The Global TV Group, the informal grouping of TV companies and sales houses’ trade bodies in Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia and Latin America, whose common goal is to promote television, has released the first of three topical updates of its Global TV Deck planned for 2021.

In a clear indication of the lay of land in today’s TV industry, research from advertising technology platform provider FreeWheel has found that after a decade of change, and as people’s consumption of media has fragmented across devices over the past ten years, many have returned to the living room to watch connected TV (CTV).

In 2020, viewers spent record time watching TV in the 24-year history of people-meter measuring. In the 15+ group, TV was watched nearly four hours a day (3 hours and 59 minutes). From January to December, the average time spent watching TV increased by 43 minutes (to 4 hours and 47 minutes).

How’s your TV watch time been? Don’t sugarcoat it - you know it’s been more than usual. With nothing to go out and do and all the reasons in the world to stay home, our TVs have kept us more engaged than ever. As entrepreneurs are constantly looking for opportunities in the midst of confusion and crazy times, some have been taking full advantage of the surge in TV watch hours.

Although the pandemic has affected the volume of TV advertising GRPs namely in spring, in total, TV delivered GRPs comparable to the previous year. The aggregate number of TV ad GRPs delivered by TV companies last year achieved a level nearly comparable to the previous year. Given the coronavirus pandemic, it is a good result. Based on the Nielsen Admosphere data.

In 2020, television cemented its role as the arbiter of the national mood. Will that mood turn to hope in 2021?It’s impossible to look forward at the state of the media and entertainment media industry without taking a glance backward at the past year. It’s been a year of stops, starts, overhauls and renovations. But also hope.