Executive summary
This report provides a summary and review of the analyses carried out by the ASA into children’s exposure to age restricted broadcast television advertising. The findings cover a fourteen-year analysis period (2010-2023) and look at exposure to ads for alcohol, gambling and HFSS products (2016-2023).
Throughout the reporting period, we observed a decline in children’s exposure both to age-restricted and all broadcast TV ads. This pointed to an overall reduction in broadcast TV consumption, reflecting a change in children’s media habits. This continued trend prompted first a move to a bi-annual reporting frequency, in 2024, and now a strategic review of the reports as a whole, which are based on BARB’s seven-day consolidated impacts on TV sets.
As young audiences increasingly diversify their media diets, we have made the decision to shift our attention towards understanding children’s experiences in online environments. With that in mind, this report also communicates our approach to online exposure measurement and highlights relevant ASA initiatives in this area.
Key findings across the reporting period
Alcohol
- Children’s average exposure per week fell from 3.2 ads (2010) to 0.7 ads (2023).
- In 2023, children saw on average around one alcohol ad for every six seen by adults.
Gambling
- Children’s average exposure per week fell from 4.4 ads (2013) to 1.8 ads (2023).
- In 2023, children saw on average around one gambling ad for every six seen by adults.
HFSS products
- Children’s average exposure per week fell from 12.4 ads (2016) to 4.4 ads (2023).
- In 2023, children saw on average around one HFSS ad for every five seen by adults.
All TV ads
- Children’s average exposure per week fell from 226.7 ads (2010) to 58.2 ads (2023).
- In 2023, children saw on average around two TV ads for every nine seen by adults.
- Children’s exposure to all TV ads continued to decline at a steady rate from the peak of 229.3 (2013).
- The rate of decline for children’s exposure to TV ads for alcohol and HFSS products fell at a similar rate to their exposure to all TV ads, whereas the rate of decline in children’s exposure to gambling ads was marginally lower.