Time spent gaming on Samsung TVs has increased by 15% from January 2020 to June 2021, indicating that the increase in gaming caused by lockdown will continue post pandemic.
On average, this meant an increase from one hour and 13 minutes gameplay in January 2020, to one hour and 24 minutes gameplay by June 2021, according to the report by Samsung Ads Europe.
There was also an 8% increase in the actual number of Samsung TVs with active monthly gaming activity in this time period. This increase equated to nearly 58 million hours a month.
Although the data covers a limited time period, its results suggest that increased time spent gaming is here to stay. Gaming time dipped when UK restrictions were lifted in April and May, but gamers returned to their heightened gameplay times in the following weeks.
Alex Hole, vice-president of Samsung Ads Europe, said: “We’ve seen substantial growth in time spent gaming on our TVs across the UK during the last 18 months, reflecting the growing popularity and accelerated rise of gaming globally.
"What’s interesting to note is the strong overlap between dedicated gamers and heavy streamers on our Samsung TVs, creating pockets of opportunities for advertisers," he added.
The report said that balancing media plans across linear platforms – meaning watching a scheduled television programme – and streaming platforms would help brands reach gamers when they are most engaged. For instance, it found that weekends are the most popular days to game, but weekday evenings around dinner time also show strong engagement.
