Our media habits are changing rapidly. If you are one of those who watch Dagsrevyen at 19.00, TV2 Nyheten at 21.00 or any other TV show at any given time, you start to become part of the small crowd. Linear TV – that is, watching programs as they are broadcast – is under immense pressure. In the 20–49 age group, TV viewing decreased by a quarter in one year from 2021–2022. The numbers from 2022 show that viewing figures fell like a rock for winter sports after NRK no longer held the rights. Today, it mostly airs on TV3 and Viaplay. Football rights have become big business. You have to shell out several thousand kroner a year to watch the Premier League – meaning the best team games in England.

The time Norwegians spend on linear TV – that is, the “old-fashioned” way – fell 18.5 percent last year. Streaming services of all kinds – meaning you watch a program or series whenever you want and have time and are not a “slave” to TV programs – have taken over too much. Many people get their news on social media like snapchat and tiktok. The latter has become one of the world’s largest advertising channels in a short period of time.

Let me take an example: on New Year’s Day, the season of the year’s “Master of Champions” and “Hver gang vi møtes” premiered simultaneously on linear TV. They shipped at the same time, but were both available online long before that time. In other words; many choose to kill some New Year’s afternoon watching the premiere hours before the “official” broadcast.

Those who followed the series waited less and less for next week’s chapter. They watch the series when they have time and preferably a few episodes in a row. Once upon a time, NRK gathered people across the country in front of TV screens. The next day, people can discuss and talk about the same program. Some TV broadcasts are almost like a big national celebration. This is no longer the case. We see so much and we see so much more on our phone screens. Many no longer have linear TVs. Visit young people’s homes – you’ll want to watch TV, but they mainly use it for streaming – that is, watching certain programs when they have time and inclination.

Therefore, don’t be surprised if the person you’re talking to hasn’t seen the same thing on the TV screen. It has been a long time since Erik Bye gathered the whole country for fun and entertainment. It is the oldest who tend to change their habits last. Many feel caught up by technological developments. They miss the winter sports on NRK and they watch the program according to the broadcast schedule. Unfortunately, there is little indication that they will be having their glory days again.