Media research shows us, that people enjoy watching TV in groups. Some authors think that watching TV in groups is a kind of social activity, because the value of any TV show is measured by the amount of social interactions it has generated. Watching TV in groups boosts both direct and indirect communication. Direct communication is when, right after seeing the movie with friends or family you have conversations with them. Indirect communication is when the conversation takes place the next day at the office with your Colleagues.  

Based on 2008 Survey in US, most people watch TV in groups because of social interactions. On these occasions, most popular genres were animations, sports events, documentaries, adventure films and reality TV. Respondent’s answers show that some aspects of TV shows were promoting social interactions more than others. For example, “cheap movies” give plenty of cause for interaction. 

There is no doubt that watching TV can be ticket to talk, because TV shows give people information to talk about.  

In 2020 BARB (Broadcasters Audience Research Board) reports viewing by guests in a panel household, for instance if the household has friends around to watch football or children for a play-date. Our data show that the percentage of panel homes reporting any guest viewing in a week is around 9% during lockdown (based on the start of lockdown until the end of May), compared to 21% for the same weeks of 2019. This drop is perhaps not surprising, given the lockdown restrictions on inviting friends and family into your home. The biggest impact is at the weekend: on a typical Sunday in April-May last year, around 8% of panel households would have guests visiting and watching TV, compared to 3% for Sundays in lockdown this year. 

Further analysis by RSMB shows that despite the lower proportion of homes reporting any guest viewing, the homes that are still seeing some of this activity are reporting it happening more frequently. Averaged across the first ten weeks of lockdown, 18% of the homes that registered any guest viewing in a week reported that such viewing happened on every day of that week; by comparison, the figure for the same weeks of 2019 was just 5%. This indicates the presence of long-term guests in some homes, whether that be a student unexpectedly home from university, or a caregiver moving into a panel home for the lockdown period.

In Georgia “Tri Media Intelligence“ was the first organization, which started measuring guest viewing in 2016. “Tri media intelligence” also was first in measuring time shifting viewing. For last couple years information about advertising time is sold including time shifting viewing and 18+ viewers number.  

In Georgia, from 01.01.2018 to 01.06.2022 average of guest viewing was 5%. During the pandemic, it dropped only from 6% to 5%. The tendency in Georgia is different from the tendency in UK where this number decreased from 9% to 3%. Before pandemic, in 2018-2019 guest viewing was 6%, after the pandemic began in 2020 gust viewing dropped to 5% and it stayed at the same level in 2021-2022. It can be explained by having regular gusts. For example, daughter, who got married but still visits parents often, or grandkids or maybe neighbors. 

Households in “Tri media intelligence” panel show that 61% of gust viewers are women and 39% are men. Guest viewing is most popular in 25-34 age group and takes up 30%. 55-64 age group shows least guest viewing percentage - 7%.  

Based on the data of the last 5 years (01.01.2018 – 01.06.2022) in 7 large towns of Georgia, the most guest viewed TV programs are serials and news. Only in the year of 2021 talk shows were more popular then news. 

It is also interesting to see which particular TV shows were the most guest viewed in these last 5 years. Most guest watched channel is ,,Imedi TV”. In 2018 most watched program was serial ,,Mother” (34 000 guests), in 2019 weather (29 000 guests), in 2020 first place took serial ,,Once in Chukurova” (42 000 guests), in 2021  most watched TV show was ,,Imedi’s Week” (32 000 guests) and this year, up  to 01.06, leading program is ,,Our Show” with 16 000 guest watches.