Belgians stick to traditional media, younger audiences opt for streaming

Belgians stick mostly to conventional media, such as television and radio, statistics released by the Centre for Information on the Media (CIM) showed on Tuesday. Young people between 12 and 24, on the other hand, are increasingly opting for streaming services, both video and audio.

In total, 95,5 per cent of Belgians say they have a television, and a third of households have multiple sets. Smartphones and laptops complete the top three, with at least three-quarters of the population using either. Nevertheless, the smartphone tops the list of most often used devices: we use it both to surf the internet and to watch video content.

However, traditional TV channels continue to achieve the highest penetration rate in terms of video. Almost eight out of ten Belgians (79,9 per cent) have watched live TV in the past 30 days, more than half (54,2 per cent) recorded a programme, and over a quarter (27,2 per cent) have watched on demand. Among young people aged 12 to 24, streaming platforms such as Netflix and Disney+ are the number one viewing mode, followed by live TV and videos on social media.

In terms of audio, traditional media are also taking the lead. Sixty per cent of Belgians have listened to live FM radio in the past month but combined with listening digitally via DAB+, the figure is as high as 74,9 per cent. Just over a quarter of Belgians listen to music via streaming services, most often via Spotify. But as with video, the youngest among us are more fond of streaming than traditional radio.

Among social media, Facebook remains the most popular platform: more than two in three Belgians over 12 have visited the social network at least once in the past month. Instagram (32,9 per cent), TikTok (19 per cent), Snapchat (18,9 per cent) and Pinterest (18,4 per cent) complete the top five. Notably, however, the popularity of TikTok soars among 12-24-year-olds, where 60,7 per cent have recently used it.

(BRV)

^{© PHOTO Chris DELMAS / AFP}