Young people 'still watch live TV'

Growing usage of personal video recorders has not diminished the appetite for live television among young people, a new survey has revealed.

Almost half of the 1,739 UK digital television watchers who participated in a survey commissioned by Microsoft's Connected TV Business Group said they use a PVR to timeshift their viewing. However, across all age ranges in the group, nearly a third still "organise their lives" around linear television schedules and one in eight said they would decline to have a night out "if it clashed with a favourite programme".

In a surprise result, the proportion of respondents who said they plan their schedules around linear TV lineups was higher among 16-24 year olds than the average, with 42% of this age group saying they change their habits around live TV programming.

"Young adults are still willing to change their schedules to catch their favourite shows live so that they can talk about them with their friends right away," said Christine Heckart, general manager of marketing at the Connected TV Business Group. "For the rest of us life is too hectic and we value being able to catch-up and watch our favourite shows at a more convenient time."

Microsoft is involved in the UK timeshift market through its Mediaroom software, which powers BT Vision's hybrid digital terrestrial-IPTV service.