It might be small comfort to the struggling Irish television sector, but viewers remain glued to the small screen.

Irish adults aged 15-plus watched television for an average of three hours and 49 minutes daily in the first quarter of the year, according to figures compiled by Nielsen for ratings body TAM Ireland.

That’s three minutes longer than the average viewing time recorded among the TAM Ireland panel in the same period last year. Linear (as it is broadcast) television accounted for some 91 per cent – or three hours and 29 minutes – of the viewing, while the other 9 per cent, or an average of 20 minutes per day, was time-shifted.

Heaviest viewers
"Housekeepers", as classified by TAM Ireland and Nielsen, remain the heaviest viewers, watching an average of four hours and 29 minutes every day.

In light of this consumption, it's little surprise that the highest-spending television advertisers during the period were all brands that directly target women: Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser and Unilever comprised the top three.

Despite audience loyalty, it remains a tough market for Irish broadcasters. RTÉ has described the first half of the year as "unpredictable and difficult", while UTV recently revealed that net ad revenue plunged 12 per cent in its Irish operations in the first quarter.