Media Usage is Set to Decline in 2025: Here’s What You Need to Know
As we navigate through the reshaping landscape of media consumption, recent research from PQ Media sheds light on a pivotal trend: media usage is projected to dip by 0.3% in 2025. Following an increase of 2.4% globally in 2024, where the average individual spent 57.2 hours per week engaging with various media, this impending decline marks a significant shift in consumer habits. Let’s delve deeper into what these numbers mean for marketers and media strategists.
The Surge and Subsequent Slowdown
A Brief Reflection on 2024
The remarkable growth in 2024 was driven largely by high-profile events, such as the Summer Olympics, which captured audiences worldwide. However, industry experts, including Leo Kivijarv, Executive Vice President and Director of Research at PQ Media, caution against reading too much into this uptick. Kivijarv reminds us that the landscape is shifting. "The decline in 2025 indicates that the gains in digital media are no longer offsetting the declines in traditional media," he states, highlighting a crucial turning point in media trends.
Insights from the Annual Global Consumer Media Usage Forecast
PQ Media’s 12th Annual Global Consumer Media Usage Forecast 2025–2029 analyzes various factors across top global markets and 25 digital media platforms. This comprehensive research helps illuminate underlying causes driving the forecasted decrease, indicating that media consumption might have peaked, especially in nations where digital access is already widespread.
Factors Contributing to the Decline
The Odd-Year Effect
One notable factor influencing this decline is what Kivijarv refers to as the "odd-year effect." Media consumption tends to be less vigorous in odd-numbered years compared to even ones, primarily because many major events, such as sports championships and pivotal elections, are prevalent in even years, therefore enhancing overall media engagement.
The Shift in Media Consumption Habits
As we progress into 2025, traditional media usage continues to decline, yet it still offers a broader audience composition compared to certain trending digital channels, like influencer marketing. Kivijarv emphasizes this point, urging marketers to recognize the potential of traditional media to reach expansive demographics effectively.
Key Statistics from 2024
In 2024, the average consumer spent 8.17 hours daily engaging with media—a marked increase from 7.36 hours in 2019. However, recent trends show a troubling decline in the time devoted to ad-supported media, with consumers dedicating merely 52.7% of their media time to these platforms, down from 55.5% in 2019.
Media Consumption Breakdown:
- 8.17 hours per day in 2024
- 7.36 hours per day in 2019
- 39.7% of total media consumption attributed to digital platforms in 2024, compared to 37.3% in 2023
Consumer Preferences and Channel Insights
Television: Still King
Television reigns supreme, racking up an impressive 28.07 hours per week across various formats, including live broadcasts, streaming, and OTT video services. Interestingly, while newer media channels have emerged, mobile video experienced the highest growth at 16.7% in 2024, paired with a 10.4% surge in the film and home video category, as more releases transition directly to streaming platforms.
Enduring Classics
Despite the rapid evolution of technology, certain media forms refuse to fade away. Printed books, for instance, remain a beloved medium across generations, while newer advancements such as artificial intelligence and the metaverse have failed to generate the same impact as previous technological milestones, indicating a form of consumer saturation.
Kivijarv pointedly remarks, "The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) hasn’t introduced anything revolutionary in years. Unlike the groundbreaking smartphone, contemporary innovations seem unlikely to significantly boost media consumption into the 2030s." This underscores a crucial observation: media consumption patterns have reached their peak, beckoning a new era of engagement strategies for marketers.
Conclusion: What Lies Ahead?
With these insights in mind, navigating the media landscape in the upcoming years necessitates a strategic pivot. As media consumption evolves and faces new challenges, marketers must adapt by blending traditional methods with innovative digital strategies to maintain audience engagement.
By staying informed and agile, brands can harness the power of both worlds—ensuring they remain relevant and effective in reaching their target audiences as we move into this transformative phase of media interaction.
For more on evolving media trends, check out resources from PQ Media and other industry analyses.
