A recent analysis by industry leaders, based on data from the Broadcasting Research Council of South Africa (BRCSA), reveals a significant decline in viewership for popular TV shows aired through traditional linear broadcasting in South Africa.
The BRCSA’s Television Audience Measurement Surveys (TAMS) track the top 20 programs on free-to-air channels like SABC and E-tv and the top 30 broadcasts across DStv. Monthly audience figures indicate a noticeable drop in viewership from October 2023 to October 2024, the latest month data was available during the analysis.
Notably, SABC 1, historically home to the most viewed broadcasts, experienced a 6.61% decrease in viewership for its top 20 shows. The most-watched program in October 2024, an episode of *Uzalo*, garnered 4.81 million viewers, significantly lower than the 6.18 million viewers for its leading episode in October 2023.
The decline in SABC 2’s viewership was influenced by an unusually high audience in October 2023 due to the broadcasting of seven major Springbok Rugby World Cup matches, including the finals and semi-finals.
On a different note, S3 (formerly SABC 3) saw an 18.2% increase in viewership, primarily due to the broadcast of Bafana Bafana’s Afcon qualifier in October 2024, which drew about 1.77 million viewers. However, this extraordinary figure skewed the typical ratings, as the second-best viewing program only attracted 446,197 viewers. After removing the Afcon qualifier and replacing it with averages from other top shows, the overall viewership for S3’s top 20 broadcasts in October 2024 fell by 1.05% compared to the previous year.
In contrast, DStv reported a slight increase in viewership for its top 30 programs in October 2024 compared to the same time in 2023, showcasing resilience amidst declining subscriber numbers and the pressures facing linear TV. Nonetheless, this improvement was insufficient to counterbalance a broader decline of 10.82% in viewership across all linear TV networks.
In summary, there has been a marked decrease in the audience for the top television broadcasts in South Africa between October 2023 and October 2024, highlighting the challenges faced by traditional broadcasting in the current media landscape.
