Local Content - March 2018

New Zealanders are watching TV in record numbers.

It’s a huge part of our daily lives, with over 3.3 million viewers tuning in each and every week.* Never before have there been so many choices for audiences, as well as so many different ways to watch the very best content – it’s truly a golden age of television.

New Zealanders are not only watching more, but they’re choosing local shows when they turn on the telly.

In 2017, more than 12,000 hours of local TV content was produced, accounting for 25 percent of all programming aired. This enormous total was an increase of 12 percent from what was shown a decade earlier in 2007.**

In 2017, the most watched current affairs shows, news programmes, sports events, documentaries, soaps and films were all locally produced.***

New Zealand’s production community continues to create ‘appointment viewing’ from 800 Words and Westside, to The Crowd Goes Wild, Super Rugby, The Block and Police Ten 7 just to name a few. This year Dancing With the Stars, Survivor NZ, and All Blacks games are all featuring in top programme lists, along with ongoing viewer favourites like Shortland Street, confirming that New Zealanders love watching local content.

Part of this demand for local content comes from the desire to see our own stories reflected on screen. New Zealand viewers want to engage with unique material that echoes their experiences. As the need for our own ‘watercooler’ moments continues, this trend will only grow.

Television has proven remarkably resilient in an era of immense disruption, and remains the undeniable, unbeatable brand builder.

Local content is a huge part of that success, a proven cultural driver that differentiates Television from any other medium.  And given the way local content is constructed, advertisers can get involved in that conversation gaining a bigger impact with audiences in a credible, relevant environment.

*Source: Nielsen TAM Consolidated R&F 5+, based on total broadcast TV Jan to Dec 2017
** Source:  Nielsen TAM Consolidated, 5+, 6am – midnight, Jan- Dec 2017
***Source: Nielsen TAM 5+, All Day Jan to Dec 2017
Source:  NZ on air 2016 Local Content