viewers

Viewers are individuals who watch visual content on display devices, such as televisions, computer monitors, tablets, and smartphones. The term is used across media industries to describe the audience for videos, films, broadcasts, live streams, and other forms of visual media. Viewers differ from readers or listeners, who engage with textual or auditory content.

In traditional television and cinema, viewership is tracked by audience measurement services that estimate the number of people or households watching a program. Common metrics include reach (the number of unique viewers), average audience, ratings (the percentage of the target population watching), and share (the portion watching among those using televisions at the time).

On online platforms, viewership is defined differently. Unique viewers may refer to distinct accounts or devices that viewed content, while concurrent viewers count those watching at the same time; views count each instance of starting a video. Other metrics such as watch time, completion rate, and engagement help assess audience quality and retention.

Viewers influence programming and monetization decisions. Broadcasters and platforms tailor content and recommendations to retain viewers, while advertisers use viewership data to target audiences and set pricing based on audience size and demographics.

Ethical considerations include privacy concerns related to data collection and reporting transparency, as well as accessibility and inclusivity in content to reach broader viewer groups.