Lockdown effect: Surge in premium TV viewers; sharpest rise in Mumbai

The rise in premium TV viewership came even as time spent on smartphones grew 8% during the lockdown from affluent homes

Affluent households are not only counting on their smartphones but also television (TV) sets to keep them busy during the lockdown. Data from the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) shows that premium TV viewers, who’ve access to multiple entertainment devices, in the top six cities of India, grew 22 per cent between March 14 and March 20, with tune-ins surging 11 per cent. March 14-20 is when the phased lockdown was announced. The comparative period are the weeks prior to the lockdown.

Specifically, Mumbai saw the sharpest rise in viewership from premium households, growing 28 per cent in the period