Observatory of audiovisual equipment in households in metropolitan France - TV results for the 1st and 2nd quarters of 2021

Arcom and its partners in the Observatoire de l'équipement audiovisuel des foyers de France métropolitaine present the results for the1st and2nd quarters of 2021 for television. The beginning of the year was once again marked by the Covid-19 health crisis, which had a major impact on consumption patterns for audio and video content. On the other hand, the health crisishad no notable effect on the penetration of equipment and reception modes, which are following the trends already underway. It does, however, seem to have accentuated certain uses of connected TV sets.

The trends observed over the past few years in terms of equipment have been confirmed. With a penetration rate of 91.3% of households in thefirst half of 2021, still slightly down, the TV set remains the most widespread screen in households, ahead of the computer (86.0% of households), the smartphone (78.9% of those aged 11 and over, with an increase) and finally the tablet (47.0% of households).

In terms of reception modes, the trends observed to date continue for internet reception (61.4% mid-2021, up 2.2 points year-on-year) and for terrestrial hertzian reception (50.2%, down 3.3 points year-on-year). The DTT platform is still the sole reception mode for 21.2% of TV-equipped households, with an over-representation of single-person households, those where the reference person in the household is over 50 or inactive, and those living in small towns.

In thefirst half of 2021 , 82% of TV-equipped households had a TV set connected to the Internet (stable over one year). The vast majority of TV sets connected to the Internet are connected via the Internet service provider's TV set-top box (80% of households equipped with a connected TV set and accessing the Internet). However, we are witnessing a change in connection modes, and therefore distribution, due to the strong increase in Smart TV (+8 points in one year) and OTT boxes (+3 points in one year) among Internet-connected TV receiver in homes.

Of all the uses - other than linear ones - offered on connected TV sets (catch-up TV, viewing other live content, recording a program, web browsing, etc.), catch-up TV is the most widespread on Internet Service Provider TV set-top boxes.

Finally, for the first time, the Observatory presents European data on receiver in homes and reception modes by country (Germany, Austria, Spain, Finland, Great Britain, Sweden), gathered thanks to our various European partners.

Juliette Théry

Member of Arcom

President of the Observatoire de l'équipement audiovisuel des foyers de France métropolitaine (Observatory of receiver in homes in mainland France)