This is Ofcom’s fifth annual Media Nations report, a research report for industry, policymakers, academics and consumers.
The main objectives of the report are to review key trends in the media sector and set out how audiences are served in the UK. We adopt a cross-platform perspective, including broadcast TV and radio, as well as digital delivery including online video and audio streaming.
As in previous years, this report is accompanied by an interactive report containing an extensive range of data. We also publish separate reports for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales covering specific themes and issues relevant to those nations.
Media Nations: the reports
Media Nations 2022: UK (PDF, 2.8 MB)
Key points
- Overall viewing of TV and video has fallen from its pandemic peak, with broadcasters losing share despite improved performance for their on-demand services.
- A resurgent TV advertising market helped commercial public service broadcasters achieve their highest revenues in five years in 2021.
- The SVoD market is maturing, with providers evolving their business models as they seek to maintain revenue growth.
- There is broad satisfaction with public service broadcasting among those who watch it, as PSBs evolve in a bid to arrest declining viewing.
- The ways in which people access and listen to radio and audio content continue to evolve, as radio broadcasters recover from the pandemic to varying degrees.
Media Nations 2022: Northern Ireland (PDF, 3.2 MB)
Key points
- Overall viewing of TV and video in Northern Ireland has fallen from its pandemic peak.
- Broadcaster video-on-demand services had comparable levels of reach to subscription video on-demand services, with most consumers using multiple streaming services.
- There was broad satisfaction with public service broadcasting among those who watch it in Northern Ireland.
- Following production challenges at the height of the pandemic, spend on first-run content for viewers in Northern Ireland increased.
- The ways in which people access and listen to radio and audio content in Northern Ireland continued to evolve, while local radio continues to play a significant role in Northern Ireland.
Media Nations 2022: Scotland (PDF, 2.9 MB)
Key points
- Overall viewing of TV and video has fallen from its pandemic peak, but Scotland continued to watch the most broadcast TV of any UK nation in 2021.
- Broadcaster video-on-demand services had comparable levels of reach to subscription video on-demand services, with most consumers using multiple streaming services.
- There is broad satisfaction with public service broadcasting among those who watch it in Scotland.
- Following production challenges at the height of the pandemic, spend on first-run content for viewers in Scotland increased.
- The ways in which people access and listen to radio and audio content in Scotland continues to evolve, as music streaming has now become as popular as listening to live radio on a radio set in Scotland.
Media Nations 2022: Wales (PDF, 3.3 MB)
Cyfryngau'r Genedl 2022: Cymru (PDF, 3.7 MB)
Key points
- Overall viewing of TV and video in Wales has fallen from its pandemic peak.
- Broadcaster video-on-demand services had comparable levels of reach to subscription video on-demand services, with most consumers using multiple streaming services.
- There is broad satisfaction with public service broadcasting among those who watch it in Wales.
- Following production challenges at the height of the pandemic, spend on first-run content for viewers in Wales increased.
- The ways in which people access and listen to radio and audio content in Wales continues to evolve, with Wales listening to the most radio of any UK nation.
Interactive report
This accompanying data report provides an extensive range of data.