FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - In 2022, significantly less television was watched daily in Germany than previously in the Corona years with lockdowns. Thus, the average viewing time in the audience of three years and older for classic linear TV was 195 minutes (i.e. 3 hours and 15 minutes). That's an average of 18 minutes less than in 2021 (213 minutes), according to AGF Videoforschung in Frankfurt on Thursday. Among 14- to 49-year-olds, TV use fell to 101 minutes (2021: 121 minutes).

"During the Corona years 2020 and 2021, we observed significant special effects: Nearly everyone was affected by the measures and found out about them on a daily basis. During the lockdowns, TV was one of the few leisure activities still possible," said AGF Video Research CEO Kerstin Niederauer-Kopf, according to a statement Thursday. "This has been reflected in exceptionally high TV usage. We now see a normalization in the long-term trend." Streaming usage was up again, she said, but not to an extent that would have compensated for the declines in TV.

Unseasonably warm weather and lifted Corona restrictions, according to the report, appear to have led to people doing more things outside the home in 2022 and watching correspondingly less TV.

Once again, news programming had dominated TV usage: The usage share of information programs was again 36.0 percent in 2022 (2021: 36.0 percent, 2020: 35.7 percent).

Interest in news, magazines, reports, documentaries, talk shows and weather was driven by the tense news situation. After two years in which Corona dominated events, the news is now dominated by the Ukraine war, the accompanying energy and economic crisis, and rising inflation.

"The importance of information on television remains high. Those who tune in are increasingly looking for news," Niederauer-Kopf said. He added that information was again ahead of fictional programs (35.1 percent, 2021: 35.5 percent) and factual entertainment such as docu-soaps (12.3 percent, 2021: 11.5 percent).

Major TV effects, which large sporting events such as the Olympic Games and soccer World Cups or European Championships have normally triggered to date, were not present at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Niederauer-Kopf said that the World Cup feeling had largely failed to materialize. The reason was probably "the discussions about human rights violations, the award modalities and the subsequent calls for a boycott, as well as a shift of the tournament from summer to the dark season."

Top 5 TV formats in 2022: Total viewers

01: "European Football Championship Women: England - Germany" (Das Erste, July 31): 17.952 million (64.5% market share) 02.: "2022 FIFA World Cup: Costa Rica - Germany" (Das Erste, Dec. 01): 17.495 million (53.1%) 03.: "Sportstudio Live - 2022 FIFA World Cup: Spain - Germany" (ZDF, 27.11.): 17.064 million (48.6%) 04.: "Tatort: Des Teufels langer Atem" (Das Erste, Jan. 16): 14.569 million (41.1%) 05.: "FIFA World Cup 2022: Argentina - France" (Das Erste, Dec. 18): 13.884 million (53.3%)

Top 5 TV formats in 2022: viewers aged 14-49

01: "Sportstudio Live - FIFA World Cup 2022: Spain - Germany" (ZDF, 11/27): 5.955 million (57.7% market share) 02: "Soccer World Cup 2022: Costa Rica - Germany" (Das Erste, 12/01): 5.852 million (63.1%) 03: "European Women's Soccer Championship: England - Germany" (Das Erste, July 31): 5.400 million (70.7%) 04.: "Sportstudio Live - FIFA World Cup 2022: Moderation" (ZDF, November 27): 4.494 million (49.5%) 05.: "Soccer World Cup 2022: Argentina - France" (Das Erste, December 18): 4.059 million (59.1%)

(Source: AGF Videoforschung in cooperation with GfK; VIDEOSCOPE 1.4, 01.01.2022-31.12.2022, market standard: TV, from 04.01.2023; - minimum broadcast length 10 minutes)/gth/DP/ngu