U.S. broadcast TV: coronavirus viewership impact 2020, by genre
Between the weeks of February 3 and March 9, 2020, the share of total gross quarter hours viewed across major broadcast television channels increased from 25.7 to 30.4 percent when it came to local news broadcasts, reflecting the demand for news and updates about the coronavirus outbreak. Most other program genres also saw an uptick in viewership as citizens were advised to stay at home in a bid to prevent the spread of the disease, and with events canceled and entertainment venues closed, watching television is one of the most natural ways to spend that extra time indoors. However, during the given time period adults did not have an appetite for feature films, instead turning to drama, variety, and comedy programming.
