Media consumption habits in 2022, Slovakia

COVID-19 expedited digitalization and increased Slovak internet penetration by almost 10% between 2021 and 2019, with nearly 90% of the population now digitally connected.

TV is still the most mass-consumed medium, with above average time spend (ATS) (4hrs 4 minutes). It also builds up reach at the highest pace. Apps have the second highest daily reach (69%). Internet, apps and print have a similar average time spent, between 1hr and 1hr10min. Radio is down to 49 minutes ATS and a 43% daily reach.

Regarding video content, YouTube dominated in total reach (76%), but a combination of Slovak publishers and ad networks yielded higher reach than YouTube alone. Facebook and Instagram remained the most popular social media platforms across all age groups in terms of reach, while TikTok, Snapchat, and Twitter gained popularity among Gen Z. TikTok is not yet large enough in Slovakia for advertising to be available. Interestingly though, TikTok took second place across every age group in terms of ATS. The average ATS on TikTok (12min 12sec) is already higher than on Instagram (07min 20sec), so it will be an effective marketing tool once it becomes available.

The year 2022 presented the Slovak media market with a host of challenges and opportunities, the continuation of which might be expected. Net inflation of the media market is expected to reach 14% in 2023, 4% more than in 2022. Legislative changes governing digital safety, disinformation, and market equality might be expected as new EU directives come into effect. However, the majority of the current market trends are long-term, such as media types’ consumption and market shares; growth of social media, mobile usage and on-demand content.