On Friday 4th July, a power outage swept through parts of the Czech Republic, leading to a dramatic drop in TV audience viewership – by up to 80% in the hardest-hit regions. While TV screens went dark for several hours in the affected areas, viewership in other parts of the country actually increased, helping to offset the overall impact. Nationwide, TV ratings between 12:00 and 15:00 fell by a more moderate 11% – as confirmed by the official audience measurement data interpreted by Atmedia, the sales house for thematic TV channels on the Czech market.

The power outage began shortly before noon and primarily affected Prague, Central Bohemia, Ústí nad Labem, Liberec, and Hradec Králové regions, along with parts of Pardubice and Olomouc. On a typical day, TV viewership gradually rises from morning to evening, but in the affected regions, the trend was abruptly interrupted – with viewership dropping significantly around noon, in some areas by more than several dozen percent.

Power was then fully restored over the course of the afternoon, between approximately 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., depending on the region. The most significant viewership drop occurred during the key three-hour period from 12:00 to 15:00, when the affected areas lost an access to broadcast television. This is supported by a comparison of live viewership figures (excluding time-shifted viewing) from Friday 4^th July with the same slot on the preceding three Fridays. Year-on-year analysis also shows a comparable decline.

Blackout Shifts TV Viewership – Down Locally, Up Nationally

TV viewership was hit hardest in the Ústí nad Labem region, where live ratings between 12:00 and 15:00 dropped by a staggering 80% compared to the same time slot over the previous three Fridays. Other major declines were seen in Liberec (-67%), Prague (-44%) and Central Bohemia (-40%). In contrast, viewership fell more mildly in the less affected Hradec Králové and Olomouc regions.

While TV viewership understandably declined in regions affected by the power outage, it actually increased in other parts of the country. For example, in the South Bohemian region, viewership between 12:00 and 15:00 was 28% higher than during the same time slot across the previous three Fridays. In the Plzeň region, it rose by 27%, and in South Moravia by 23%. Higher ratings were also noted in the Zlín and Moravian-Silesian regions, as well as in the Vysočina region. The exceptional circumstances clearly drew more viewers to their TVs in areas unaffected by the outage.

‘Live TV viewership across the Czech Republic fell by 11% between 12:00 and 15:00 when compared to the same time frame on the previous three Fridays. The figures highlight how steep drops in some areas were effectively offset by gains in others,’ explains Pavel Müller, Atmedia’s Senior Head of Research & Marketing. Over the course of the day, live TV viewership declined by a modest 4% versus the same day in the preceding three weeks.^[1]

When Crisis Hits, Viewers Tune In

‘Exceptional circumstances are often linked to a rise in TV viewership,’ comments Michaela Suráková, Atmedia’s Managing Director, while she also points out that this mirrors the widespread flooding seen in September last year. A further example can be found in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, when restrictions were first introduced and lockdowns began. During this period, people turned to television for both information and much-needed comfort and entertainment.

Television also tends to attract larger audiences during major sporting events like the Olympics or the Ice Hockey World Championship. Viewership also reaches seasonal highs around Christmas and during New Year’s Eve festivities. ‘TV viewership in the Czech Republic is generally high and exceeds the European average,’ notes Michaela Suráková. Last year, TV reached an average of 5,6 million daily viewers aged 15 and above – each spending about 3 hours and 36 minutes a day in front of their TV screen.^[2]