1 in 3 have streamed online TV to ‘feel less lonely’, claims study

New research from price comparison site Uswitch.com has revealed that a third (33%) of us have streamed online TV to feel less lonely over the past year, with 43% admitting to bingeing an entire series in a single day. 

A quarter (26%) said they now exclusively stream TV online and almost half (49%) say they’re watching more online TV than they did pre-lockdown. More than a third (34%) said they started a new streaming subscription during lockdown.

The survey revealed people love the old favourites, with 54% of respondents saying they’ve rewatched The Simpsons more than once. In close second is 90s sitcom Friends (53%), followed by Gavin and Stacey (45%), The Inbetweeners (44%), and The Big Bang Theory (42%). 15% of The Simpsons’ fans said they’ve rewatched the show more than 10 times, followed by 14% of Friends’ fans.

A third (33%) of people said streaming TV online helped them to feel less lonely over the past year
More than a quarter (26%) of people now exclusively stream TV online
The Simpsons is the UK’s most rewatched TV show, with 54% of people having watched it more than once
More than half (55%) of Brits aged 16-24 admit they spend longer looking for something to watch than actually streaming TV online
Almost a quarter (24%) of people say they have streamed TV online when they are supposed to be working
The full research can be viewed here. 

Nineteen of the top 20 most rewatched shows are scripted dramas, animations and sitcoms. Keeping Up with the Kardashians is the only reality show in the top 20, with repeated viewings at 26%, the same as American sitcom Modern Family.

People in the UK capitals have slightly different tastes, as London and Belfast’s favourite show is Game of Thrones, while Cardiff prefers The Walking Dead, and Edinburgh Breaking Bad.

With such an enormous library of TV shows to watch across various streaming services, viewers said that deciding what to watch can take just as long as actually watching. More than half (55%) of 16-24-year-olds admitted that they have experienced difficulty choosing what to watch, compared to just 16% of people aged 55+.

There are also those among us who can’t wait to watch the latest episode of a series, to the point where they will watch without their series-watching buddy — a modern relationship problem known as “Netflix cheating”. Four in ten (42%) people aged 16-24 said they had watched an episode behind the back of a partner or friend, compared to just 8% of those aged 55+.

As well as “Netflix cheating”, almost a quarter (24%) said they’ve streamed online TV when they were supposed to be working. A third (33%) said they’ve lost sleep due to getting hooked while watching a streaming service.

More than half (52%) of people believe streaming services are good value for money, with more than 44% subscribing to more than one streaming service.

Commenting on the research, Nick Baker, broadband expert, at Uswitch.com

“Thanks to streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+, consumers are spoilt for choice when it comes to finding the latest box set to binge-watch. This means the third of us who rely on streaming TV to combat loneliness have a vast library at our fingertips. 

“With so many people spending more time searching for something to watch than actually watching, users should try to take advantage of watch lists. There are also functions such as Netflix’s randomizer which may uncover some hidden gems we might not ordinarily choose. 

“However, even though popular new shows are released almost weekly, it’s comforting to know that your all-time favourites will be there at the touch of a button.”

Table: Which TV shows have been rewatched the most