Cost remains a significant factor for both NI and RoI consumers when it comes to a night out, with 81% in both NI and RoI finding a night out too expensive. Indeed, 72% of RoI and 74% of NI say that the cost of living crisis has seen them spend more of their leisure time at home.
These cost considerations are impacting the way in which people are spending their at-home entertainment time, with solitary activities proving particularly popular. It has also negated some gains which may have been expected post COVID-19 pandemic, such as drinking out of home.
However, there is much potential for retailers and brands to capitalise on increased time spent at home, including by offering a greater variety of ways to spend time with children, redirecting advertising strategies to meet the changing face of TV watching and streaming, or appealing to consumers throwing parties at home with specific deals.
This report looks at the following areas:
- How COVID-19 has continued to shape Irish in-home entertainment
- How the cost of living crisis is changing consumer leisure engagement both in and out of home
- Who is on top in the battle between live TV and streaming
- The importance of snacking during in-home activities
- How has engagement with in-home activities changed in the last 12 months
- To what degree does weather/climate dictate in-home vs out-of-home entertainment usage?
COVID-19 continues to cast a long shadow over Irish entertainment habits, with inflation further pushing consumers to spend more leisure time at home in 2024.
Saran Monson, Associate Analyst- Consumer Research
Market Definitions
This Report examines the leisure activities undertaken by Irish consumers during their evenings – both during weekdays and at the weekend – while at home. All activities that are done outside the home (eg visiting the pub, cinema, etc) are not examined in this Report. Activities covered in this Report include:
- Watching live TV and streaming services
- Playing video games
- Hosting parties (including dinner parties)
- Online shopping
- Drinking with friends, relatives or alone
- Spending time with children or a romantic evening in with a partner.
Please note that activities that may be considered to be non-leisure activities are not examined in this Report, such as household chores, exercise, etc. Please note that a Market Size and Forecast section for this Report is not included. Mintel is currently unable to segment spending solely by activity for many of the categories included in this Report.
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Executive Summary
- Opportunities for the in-home entertainment market
- Drinks at home for the girls- NI
- Activities with children
- With so many streamers featuring adverts, there may be a greater opportunity for targeted advertising campaigns
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Financial situation now compared to a year ago
- Most find the night out too expensive, with at-home drinking popular at the weekend
- Graph 1: ‘I find nights out too expensive’, 2024
- What consumers want and why
- Types of activities done as part of a night in, in the last month (March 2024)
- NI consumers spend most time on TV and streaming
- Graph 2: types of activities engaged in as part of a night in during the last month, 2024
- But these categories have a lesser influence in RoI
- Graph 3: types of activities engaged in as part of a night in during the last month, 2024
- Top three activities that consumers are doing more of are the same across RoI and NI, but ranking different
- Graph 4: Top three activities to which respondents answered ‘More’, 2024
- Costs driving more consumers to entertain at home, but spending less
- Women more likely to find nights out expensive
- Innovation and marketing
- Lots of cost-free options for the screen- savvy consumer
- Live Shopping hitting the UK and Ireland
- #BookTok brings back awards
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Market Dynamics
- Wider financial situation
- Graph 5: financial situation, 2024
- Financial situation now compared to a year ago
- Graph 6: how does your own financial situation compare to how it was a year or so ago?, 2024
- Splashing out on treats and snacks
- Graph 7: consumers who like to splash out on treats/snacks on a night in when hosting friends/family, 2024
- Drinking at home a popular weekend choice; majority find the night out too expensive
- Graph 8: consumers who find nights out too expensive, 2024
- At-home alcohol costs somewhat unstable
- Graph 9: consumer price indices for alcoholic beverages, June 2023-24
- Graph 10: consumer price indices for alcoholic beverages – off licenses, June 2023-24
- Licence fee uncertainties and password crackdowns…
- Streaming services stay significant, but include extra advertising
- …but live TV still reigns supreme
- Graph 11: watching live TV, either alone or with friends/family, as part of a night in in the last month, 2024
- Social media shouldn’t be underestimated
- Graph 12: consumers who spend more time viewing content from social media personalities than watching TV/on-demand streaming services, 2024
- Spending priorities in the face of cut-backs differs between regions
- Graph 13: ‘which of the following would you most want to continue to spend on, even if your financial situation meant that you had to make cuts in your overall spending? Please select up to 3.’, 2024
- Going out for a meal loses ground to food and drink for an evening in…
- Graph 14: discretionary spending priorities once essential costs are taken care of*, 2021-24
- … but consumers still value going out for a meal
- Graph 15: discretionary income spending priorities, 2024
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What Consumers Want and Why
- Types of activities undertaken during a night in
- TV and streaming watching dominates NI
- Graph 16: types of activities engaged in as part of a night in during the last month, 2024
- TV and streaming still on top but with less influence in RoI
- Graph 17: types of activities engaged in as part of a night in during the last month, 2024
- Streaming, reading and spending time with children being done more the most often compared to 12 months ago
- Streaming, spending time with children and reading taking up more time in NI.
- Graph 18: change in time spent on in-home activities compared to 12 months ago, 2024
- RoI changes order of importance
- Graph 19: change in amount of time spent on night in activities compared to 12 months ago, 2024
- But since the pandemic, spending time with children decreases
- Graph 20: consumers spending time with their children as part of a night in, 2021 and 2024
- Edutainment for kids
- Younger people reading more
- Graph 21: change in amount of time spent reading compared to 12 months ago, by age, 2024
- Parties only see a small increase
- Graph 22: hosted a dinner party or had a party, week night vs weekend night, 2021 and 2024
- Dinner party possibilities
- Weekends are key for celebratory parties
- Live TV and Streaming
- Graph 23: consumers who have watched live TV, alone or with friends/family, and/or a programme on a streaming/on-demand service, 2021 and 2024
- NI vs RoI: live and streaming
- Streaming content sees biggest increase in NI, but not RoI
- Graph 24: top three activities consumers spend more time on compared to 12 months ago, 2024
- At-home drinking
- Graph 25: consumers who had a drink alone or with friends/relatives during the last month, 2021 and 2024
- Older generations drinking more during the week
- Graph 26: consumers who had a drink alone or with friends/relatives during the last month, by generation, 2024
- Younger drinkers in NI drinking more at home at the weekend compared to RoI
- Low/no alcohol options may appeal to younger people during the week
- Catering to alcohol reducers
- An opportunity in the market for at-home female drinking in NI
- But RoI shows more gender discrepancy
- Graph 27: consumers who had a drink alone or with friends/relatives during the last month, by gender and age, 2024
- Cooking and baking for leisure
- Graph 28: consumers who have cooked/baked for leisure as part of a night in during the last month, 2021 and 2024
- NI females spend the most time shopping
- Graph 29: consumers who have shopped online as part of a night in in the past 12 months, by gender, 2024
- RoI males shopping online more often
- Graph 30: amount of time spent shopping online compared to 12 months ago, by gender
- In spite of financial difficulty, online shopping is popular still…
- Graph 31: change in amount of time spent shopping online as part of a night in compared to 12 months ago
- … especially among those finding finances tight in RoI
- Graph 32: compared to 12 months ago, are you spending more, the same amount or less time on online shopping, by financial situation, 2024
- Video games are a popular choice among both women and men
- Graph 33: change in amount of time spent playing video games compared to 12 months ago, by gender, 2024
- Graph 34: change in amount of time spent playing video games compared to 12 months ago, 2024
- In spite of an overall reduction, 37% of women in NI and men in RoI are playing video games more often
- Gender differences in game genres
- Graph 35: genres of games played on mobile in the last 12 months, by gender, 2023
- RoI spends more romantic nights in
- Graph 36: change in time spent having romantic evenings with a significant other as part of a night in compared to 12 months ago, 2024
- Attitudes towards in-home entertainment
- Expense of a night out keeps consumers in-home
- Women more likely to find nights out expensive
- Graph 37: consumers who agree that nights out are too expensive, by gender and socio-economic group, 2024
- Affordable nights in for women
- In-home social gatherings subject to cut-backs too
- …but many younger Millennials still willing to splash out when hosting
- Graph 38: consumers who like to splash out on treats/snacks on a night in when hosting friends/family, by generation, 2024
- NI chooses parties without the fuss
- Graph 39: consumers who would use ready-made party foods if hosting a party at home, 2024
- Treating friends and family at home
- Weather likely to keep consumers at home
- Graph 40: consumers who are more likely to have more nights in during the winter months as opposed to summer months, by generation, 2024
- Winter warmers
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Competitive landscape
- Launch activity and innovation
- Freely supports Live TV for the future
- Netflix still creates Big Hits
- Prime Video solidifies its offering with Fallout
- Tubi launches in the UK
- UKTV launches Masterbrand U
- We’ve Got U and they’ve got Cher
- Retailers launch live shopping services
- FAST live shopping channel with Amazon
- TikTok Book Awards UK & Ireland
- Diageo helps customers find their perfect cocktail
- Serene gaming with Simpler Times
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Appendix
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research methodology
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