Most viewers say they are watching the same amount of television as they did before the Writers Guild of America strike began, according to a new survey conducted for ad buyer Carat.
Among the 1,000 adults interviewed in the research, 72% said they were watching the same amount of prime-time TV as they did before the strike, while 25% said they were watching less. The other 3% said they were watching more TV.
But consumers are changing what they’re watching in prime time when new episodes of their favorite shows aren’t available.
Only 16% of those surveyed said they would watch repeats of their favorite shows. Among those who said they wouldn’t or might not watch reruns, 54% said they would go online; 51% said they would channel-surf until they found something else to watch; 42% said they would rent or watch DVDs; 38% said they would watch DVDs they already owned; 32% said they would watch other prime-time shows; and 20% said they would play video games.
Overall, 95% of those surveyed were aware of the writers strike.
“This research is a part of our company’s ongoing interest in observing media consumption and unlocking and activating consumer behavior,” said Sarah Fay, CEO of Carat and Isobar U.S.