Executive Summary

Time spent with media will reach all-time highs in both France and Germany in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. While some of those gains will be temporary, daily media time will still remain above 2019 levels for at least the next two years.

Has the coronavirus pandemic affected total time spent with media?

Simply put, yes. But not all of the gains in media time will be long-lasting, and many of the changes are accelerations of pre-pandemic trends, rather than transformative shifts in how consumers in France and Germany use media.

Which media categories will drive growth in 2020?

It will primarily be the usual culprits: digital video and mobile. But linear TV will also get a boost this year, as will desktop internet usage, thanks to teleworking and online schooling. Print and radio will suffer steeper-than-expected declines.

Will the growth in time spent with media last beyond 2020?

Yes and no. Some behaviors, like increased digital video viewing, will stick and grow from a new, higher 2020 level. Others, including traditional TV, will fall back down to what we expected before the pandemic. Print and radio won’t be able to make up for their 2020 losses.

WHAT’S IN THIS REPORT? This report explores our latest forecast for time spent with media in France and Germany, and how COVID-19 will affect media usage patterns in 2020 and beyond.

KEY STAT: We have upgraded our 2020 and 2021 forecasts for time spent with media in France and Germany due primarily to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.