It’s probably safe to say that we all know we’ve watched more TV than usual over the past year but the Sykes report makes for fascinating reading. It found that 38% of Americans were watching at least three hours of streaming content a day during the week with that number rising to 48% on weekends. That doesn’t take live TV into account either with Nielsen studies (opens in new tab) finding that the hours increase to over four each day when you include both methods of watching TV. During the pandemic, 71.7% of Americans subscribed to a new streaming service while nearly 50% bought a new TV. Are you regretting being part of that slim majority who didn’t? Check out our look at the best TVs (opens in new tab) to see what might tempt you in 2021. Curious minds may be wondering what we’ve all been watching. Sykes found that the favorite comfort TV series to watch during the pandemic was Friends with 31% of respondents enjoying the classic 90s sitcom with The Office closely following behind in second place followed by The Simpsons, Schitt’s Creek and Grey’s Anatomy. We have to admire those viewers who decided to watch a medical drama while living through a pandemic. Guilty pleasures were also a big deal during the pandemic with everyone’s favorite bizarre documentary - Tiger King - topping the list with 37% of respondents saying it was their favorite guilty pleasure. Following that was Disney Plus (opens in new tab)’s The Mandalorian, Ozark, The Crown, and Emily in Paris. 75% of respondents also found themselves rewatching their favorites so we’re guessing quite a few people rewatched the joys of Baby Yoda frequently in recent months. Interestingly, 33% of those surveyed said they were willing to forgo a month’s worth of time outdoors in a bid to keep on streaming which we guess is probably a useful way to feel given the ongoing pandemic globally. Streaming has been many people’s companion throughout this as demonstrated by 41% of people regularly streaming shows while working and a whopping 85% watching TV while eating at least one meal a day. While many of us can’t spend time with loved ones just yet, at least we can enjoy dinner with Ross, Homer or, well, Carol Baskin if you really want to. We won’t judge. Honest.
