UK Media Trends Spring Market Report 2021
£ 2,195 (Excl.Tax)
Report Summary
Providing the most comprehensive and up-to-date information and analysis of the UK Media market, including the behaviours, preferences and habits of the consumer.
While physical media sales dropped sharply at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a steadily renewing interest as of the end of 2020. CD sales rose from 13% in June to 18% in December, with potential for physical video and music formats to bounce back as retail reopens.
There has been a shift towards digital media has been ongoing over the past couple of years, with this process accelerated by the lockdowns. TV viewership and streaming subscriptions rose following the outbreak, with the competition in the video subscription market growing more and more competitive. However, physical media shouldn’t be overlooked, as its resilience proves it still holds potential.
This report looks over the current state of UK media trends, as the ways that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the physical and digital markets. With more people spending more time online, companies can innovate online services and physical distribution to help attract customers.
Read on to discover more details or take a look at all of our UK Media market research.
Quickly understand
- The impact of COVID-19 on media habits.
- Trends in purchasing of media content.
- Trends in media activities and use of devices.
- The types of original media content people are posting online.
- Attitudes towards posting original media content online.
Covered in this report
Media Products: Print book, print newspaper, print magazine, DVD, CD album, video game disc, Blue-ray disc, CD single, vinyl record, streaming video service, TV service, streaming music service, print magazine subscription, video game subscription, e-book service, print newspaper subscription, online newspaper subscription.
Expert analysis from a specialist in the field
Written by Rebecca McGrath, a leading analyst in the Media sector, her extensive knowledge delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends and add expert context to the numbers.
The outbreak of COVID-19 significantly impacted people’s media habits, with tv platforms the early big winner. Behaviour at the end of 2020 was overall fairly stable compared to the initial pandemic period. Audio content, such as music and podcasts, is performing particularly strongly, presenting further opportunities for audio streaming services in terms of premium subscriptions and advertising.
Rebecca McGrath
Senior Media Analyst
Table of Contents
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Overview
- What you need to know
- Key issues covered in this Report
- COVID-19: Market context
- Economic and other assumptions
- Products covered in this Report
- Related Reports
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Executive Summary
- The consumer
- Increase in people purchasing physical music gives more hope to the future of the market
- Figure 1: Physical media purchases, December 2017-20
- Halt in growth of video streaming subscriptions
- Figure 2: Media subscriptions, December 2017-20
- Dip in reading of free online newspapers suggests news fatigue
- Figure 3: Media activities, December 2017-20
- Smaller films could benefit from digital rental releases beyond the pandemic
- Figure 4: Media downloads, December 2017-20
- More people are using game consoles
- Figure 5: Devices used for media activities, December 2020
- Decline in people using smartphones to watch short videos online
- Figure 6: Devices used for viewing, December 2020
- Door opens for more authentic photo-sharing platforms
- Nearly three in 10 people from Gen Z are posting original short videos
- Figure 7: Online content creations, December 2020
- Platforms should offer more control to users over the feedback they receive
- Figure 8: Attitudes towards posting online content, December 2020
- People feel positively about going viral
- Figure 9: Attitudes towards going viral online, December 2020
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Physical Media Purchases
- The resilience of the print books market is further cemented
- Bookshop.org is crucial for independent bookstores during the pandemic and beyond
- Figure 10: Physical media purchases, December 2017-20
- Print newspapers and magazines struggle…
- …but there could be opportunities in the children’s news market
- Increase in people purchasing physical music gives more hope to the future of the market
- HMV’s experience strategy could prove more effective post-pandemic
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Media Subscriptions
- Halt in growth of video streaming subscriptions
- Financial concerns will have limited growth
- Disney+ targets adults following its successful launch
- Figure 11: Media subscriptions, December 2017-20
- Pay-TV providers add more original content and live sport to keep subscriptions high
- As number of music subscribers grows, Spotify explores new premium options
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Media Activities
- Launch of Times Radio signals the ongoing popularity of radio
- Figure 12: Media activities, December 2017-20
- Growth in use of free video streaming services encourages broadcasters to further prioritise their online platforms
- Desire for more immediate gratification during the pandemic encourages binge-watching…
- …but don’t write off linear TV
- Figure 13: Viewership of free TV services in the last three months, by generation, December 2020
- Dip in reading of free online newspapers suggests news fatigue
- Launch of Times Radio signals the ongoing popularity of radio
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Media Downloads
- Smaller films could benefit from digital rental releases beyond the pandemic
- Younger Millennials and parents are more likely to buy digital rentals
- Figure 14: Media downloads, December 2017-20
- Amazon reignites conversation around download ownership
- Figure 15: Repertoire of media downloads in the last three months, by age, December 2020
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Devices Used for Media Activities
- More people are using game consoles
- Video game streaming presents a threat to consoles
- Figure 16: Devices used for media activities, December 2020
- Decline in people using smartphones to watch short videos online
- Figure 17: Devices used for viewing, December 2020
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Special Focus: Online Content Creation
- Door opens for more authentic photo-sharing platforms
- Adding filter-free features
- Figure 18: Online content creations, December 2020
- Nearly three in 10 people from Gen Z are posting original short videos
- Gen Z will not leave TikTok because other platforms offer TikTok-esque features
- Figure 19: Online content creations in the last three months, by generation, December 2020
- Encouraging women to post a greater variety of content
- Figure 20: Online content creations in the last three months, by gender, December 2020
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Special Focus: Attitudes towards Posting Online Content
- People are closely monitoring the response their content/posts get
- Platforms should offer more control to users over the feedback they receive
- Figure 21: Attitudes towards posting online content, December 2020
- Ephemeral content makes posting more casual
- Preventing people posting negative content
- Many have the goal of making money from their online content
- Direct payment features become a key feature social media platforms can use to attract users
- People feel positively about going viral
- Figure 22: Attitudes towards going viral online, December 2020
- Men more likely to aim to go viral and to make money
- Figure 23: Attitudes towards going viral online, by gender, December 2020
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Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
About the report
This market report provides in-depth analysis and insight supported by a range of data. At the same time, introductory and top-level content is provided to give you an overview of the issues covered.
Market
Mintel provides a range of market information, frequently through the category level, including market size and forecasting, complete with market drivers that illustrate the forces that shape a category or market.
Consumer
Mintel’s proprietary consumer research provides our analysts with the attitudinal and behavioral data used to provide valuable insight to topical issues.
Brand/Company
Mintel provides overviews of the top brands and manufacturers, and uses consumer research to explore attitudes and reactions to brands, as well as insight into what will resonate with consumers.
Data
Market reports provide appendices of data to support the research and insight produced. Our databooks* are easily manipulated and downloadable to support your research needs and covers factors from consumer attitudes to market forecasts.
*databooks not available with UK B2B Industry reports.
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