#Japan #Tokyo #Sports #NEWS #TVAL

Overview of 2025 TV Viewing Trends

Switch Media, based in Tokyo, has analyzed data from its advertising analytics cloud, TVAL, along with Cross-Media Insights to compile TV program viewing rankings and trends for 2025. The ranking prominently features live sports events such as the Hakone Ekiden, MLB Opening Day, and the FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, as well as evening news broadcasts, New Year special programs, and long-running dramas.

Analysis Methodology

The data gathering encompassed programs aired by NHK and key TV stations in the Kanto region, with rankings calculated based on average viewing rates per series and per episode. The evaluation period spanned from January 1 to December 7, 2025, categorizing shows into sports, drama, news/report, variety, information/wide shows, and welfare.

Top 10 TV Programs by Series

Based on TV viewing data from TVAL organized by series average ratings, live sports broadcasts and New Year specials stood out, alongside long-standing news/reporting programs and serial dramas.

Category Composition

In an analysis of the top 100 programs segmented by category, news and reporting programs dominated with 43 entries, accounting for over 40% of the total. Drama programs followed with 30 listings, while sports programs appeared 17 times. Variety shows accounted for 8, with information/wide shows and welfare programs each having 1 entry. Notably, news, reporting, drama, and sports categories collectively made up nearly 90% of the viewing content.

Emerging Trends in 2025 TV Viewing

When examining series rankings by category, certain flagship programs emerged. The sports category featured popular events like the Hakone Ekiden and MLB Opening Day 2025, while news/reporting highlighted shows like "Information 7 Days Newscaster" and "News 7." The drama segment saw dominance from long-running series such as Sunday Theater and continuous TV novels. The variety segment included icons like "Celebrity Personality Rating Check!" and "Ultra Man DASH."

News as the Information Hub

Successful evening news/reporting shows such as "Information 7 Days Newscaster," "News 7," and "Reporting Station" demonstrated high viewer returns during key political events like candidate announcements, Trump tariffs, and senate elections. International headlines like the conflict between Trump and Zelensky, along with sports highlights from events such as the World Athletics Championships and Shohei Ohtani’s home runs further showcased the evening news programs' role as comprehensive information hubs. They successfully blend political, economic, and international news with sports achievements, illustrating their significance in keeping viewers informed.

Summary of 2025 TV Viewing Trends

From the analysis results, three predominant trends for TV viewing in 2025 have been highlighted:

1. Resilient Popularity of Live Sports: Events like the Hakone Ekiden, MLB Opening Day, and FIFA qualifiers topped viewing rankings, indicating a sustained demand for real-time sports viewing experiences.

2. Influence of Popular Athletes on News Viewership: Coverage of live sports, particularly those with standout athletes, significantly raised viewership for corresponding news segments. The integration of sports highlights into political and economic narratives appeared to drive up general audience engagement with news programs.

3. New Year Specials and Long-Running Dramas as Family Entertainment: Audience favorites, such as the Celebrity Personality Rating Check and other New Year specials, remained popular alongside long-running dramas like Sunday Theater and continuous TV novels. These formats continue to serve as reliable family and friend viewing options, maintaining their relevance despite the evolution toward digital viewing.

Conclusion

Live sports and large events remain pivotal in drawing mass audiences, emphasizing the need for effective scheduling that includes adjacent news/reporting shows. Furthermore, programs that encourage family viewing foster long-term engagement, becoming vital points of brand communication that cultivates recognition and sentiment. Switch Media will continue to support media planning that incorporates these viewing trends through TVAL and Cross-Media Insights.

More about Switch Media

Switch Media offers a centralized platform for managing advertising data across TV commercials and digital ads, facilitating media budget allocation through comparative analytics and cross-brand assessments. It operates the SAAS products, Cross-Media Insights and TVAL, integrating viewing data with consumer buying behavior for comprehensive sales effect analysis.
Learn more about Switch Media