- Over one in 20 young people aged 18-38 have cancelled a date to watch TV shows such as Love Island and Game of Thrones
- From weddings to meals out, 36% of young Brits have cancelled on social events to avoid being caught out by spoilers
- Those in the North East are most likely to cancel plans (39%)
- Men are more likely to skip social events for TV shows (26% versus 21% of women)
Over a third of young people aged 18-38 (36%) have cancelled plans with family or friends to watch a TV show, according to new research from personal finance comparison site finder.com.
Despite the availability of catch-up TV services, finder.com’s data reveals that nearly a quarter of all Brits (23%) have skipped a social event due to a fear of missing out on their favourite show.
Of those that have chosen TV over social events, the most common event to skip is a night out with friends (35%) and nearly one in ten (9%) admitted to missing a wedding.
Those in the North East of England are most likely to cancel their plans to avoid being caught out by spoilers (39%) versus just 13% of those in East Anglia.
The data also reveals that men are more likely to stay in to watch TV, with over a quarter (26%) revealing they have skipped plans compared to just over one in five (21%) women. Those in a relationship are most likely to cancel on plans, with around three in ten (29%) admitting to skipping a social event to catch up on a favourite TV show.
Social events most likely to have been skipped for TV shows
| Rank | Event |
| 1 | Night out with friends (35%) |
| 2 | Club meeting (26%) |
| 3 | Work event (25%) |
| = 3 | Meal out (25%) |
| 5 | Gym (22%) |
| 6 | Birthday event (20%) |
| 7 | Date (14%) |
| 8 | Team game or training session (13%) |
| 9 | Ticketed event (10%) |
| 10 | Wedding (9%) |
To view the complete breakdown of Finder’s statistics, including gender, age and regional figures please visit: https://www.finder.com/uk/social-events-missed-to-watch-tv-shows
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About finder.com/uk
finder.com is a personal finance website, which helps consumers compare products online so they can make better informed decisions. Consumers can visit the website to compare utilities, mortgages, credit cards, insurance products, shopping voucher codes, and so much more before choosing the option that best suits their needs.
Best of all, finder.com is completely free to use. We’re not a bank or insurer, nor are we owned by one, and we are not a product issuer or a credit provider. We’re not affiliated with any one institution or outlet, so it’s genuine advice from a team of experts who care about helping you find better.
finder.com launched in the UK in February 2017 and is privately owned and self-funded by two Australian entrepreneurs – Fred Schebesta and Frank Restuccia – who successfully grew finder.com.au to be Australia’s most visited personal finance website (Source: Experian Hitwise).
Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates or drop us a line to say hi: @findercomuk
Methodology
- finder.com comissioned Onepoll to carry out a nationally representative survey of 2,000 adults aged 18+
For further press information, please contact:
James Richards/Yasmine Triana
T: +44 (0)20 3440 8930
E: [email protected]
