What does an evening in front of the telly looks like? The Orange TV Barometer reveals some insights

In its first TV Barometer, Orange Belgium surveyed 1,400 customers about their television behaviour. The telecom operator found that in the present digital era Belgians still watch television en masse, be it more often nowadays with a smartphone at the ready or with a laptop to give comments on a programme, increasingly more on social media. They prefer to be cosy and warm under a blanket, zapping and nibbling their way through the programme offer. They prefer savoury snacks to healthy snacks. Water does better than soft drinks, beer or wine.

Television important for 7 out of 10 Belgians

More than 70 percent of the surveyed people find television important to very important in their lives. A television is the favourite screen for people aged 50+. The younger, the more important the smartphone. “We believe this is because youngsters use smartphones as a television. Through channels such as YouTube or Netflix they watch the content they want on their smartphone”, says Cristina Zanchi, Chief Consumer Officer at Orange Belgium.

It is thus not surprising that young people are often doing stuff on other screens while watching television. This is the case for 7 out of 10 youngsters. In the over-50s this is only 35%. For elderly people, watching TV is more of an escape.

From early in the morning to late in the evening

Belgians chiefly switch on their television after a day's work. A quarter of viewers watches TV during dinner and 10 percent at breakfast. Belgians seem to be creatures of habit: 44 percent follows a series every day; for 64 percent this is weekly. The possibilities of delayed viewing are expanding, but they still prefer to watch a programme live.

Snoring on the sofa

The best spot to watch television is the couch. It is not surprising that Belgians tend to fall asleep in front of the television. This is chiefly the case in adults aged between 31 and 49. Half of this group, mostly young parents, regularly falls asleep in front of the television. On the other hand, the 31 to 49 age group does not have a problem with domestic chores, such as ironing, cooking, clearing up and washing up, while watching television.

Thuis and Familie

Belgians prefer to watch television with family. Domestic programmes, such as Thuis (VRT) and Familie (VTM), in which they recognise themselves, keep them chained to their couches. In French-speaking Belgium the series Koh-lanta (TF1) and L'amour est dans le pré (RTL TVI) are very popular. To create a cosy atmosphere they only need one thing: a blanket. As many as 8 out of 10 women always have a blanket close at hand when watching television.

No alcohol in front of the television, preferably non-alcoholic or coffee or tea

Food & drink are indispensable for an evening in front of the telly. Savoury snacks such as crisps and nuts enjoy the preference of 65.5 percent of viewers, followed by fruit, sweets and chocolate. Most people drink water (55.5 percent) while watching television, but also soft drinks, tea and coffee are more popular than wine (26.5 percent) and beer (19.5 percent). Particularly young people (16-30 year-olds) like to snack. The over-50s are more careful with what they eat.

Who's in charge of the remote?

Half of the participants watch the programme his/her partner wants to watch. The survey shows that mostly men (60 percent) decide what will be watched. Kids have less decision power. Only 31 percent of the parents agree to what their kids want to see on television.