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Estimated reading time: 6 min 48 s

As in other places, smartphones have really taken over in France's overseas territories, and maybe even more so than elsewhere. French West Indians, Guianians and Reunion Islanders use smartphones a lot to watch TV and to listen to radio, both for live broadcasts and catch-up. Médiamétrie has already researched such consumption in these territories and will study it in greater detail via the Digital Usage Observatory, as well as the Global TV and Global Radio modules.

Smartphones dominate in France's overseas territories

In the French West Indies, French Guiana and Réunion, 96% of the population owned a mobile phone[1]. And more than three-quarters of households owned a computer. However, across all of these territories, users preferred to go online via their smartphone: double the number of users who logged on via their computer several times a day.

According to Guy Détrousselle, Médiamétrie’s Director of Local Media, "The mobile sector – even in the pre-smartphone era– was always popular in the French overseas territories. Life there is very outward-looking and mobile. For cultural reasons and undoubtedly due to socio-demographics of the population, the smartphone craze continues, also in part thanks to ongoing network quality and access improvements."

In total, around 70% of French West Indians and Guianians accessed the internet on a daily basis across all devices. In Réunion, the figure was even higher: more than 3 out of 4 people. These practices have expanded rapidly in recent years, as only one-half of the populations in these territories went online daily in 2014.

Smartphones – an alternative screen for watching TV

As smartphone enthusiasts, France's overseas citizens reached for these devices first whenever they wanted to watch TV other than on a television set. Guianians were the biggest fans – 8 out of 10 had already watched on a smartphone[2] (56.3% used a computer). Guadeloupeans came next with three-quarters watching on a smartphone (68.6% on computer), closely followed by Martinicans with almost 3 out of 4 (70% on computer). Finally, Reunion Islanders scored slightly lower on 68.9% (67.5% on a computer).

In terms of time spent, a few variations existed between the territories. Reunion Islanders spent twice the time watching TV on smartphones as they did on computers. Every day, 2.6% of total TV viewing was on those screens. Martinicans also spent slightly more time watching programmes on their smartphones than they did on computers. On the other hand, Guianians and Guadeloupeans spent more time watching television on their computers than on their smartphones.

Depending on the territory, on any given weekday, between 5% and 7% of inhabitants watched TV on a screen other than a television set. Most viewing was recorded between 8pm and midnight. Between 2.5% and 5% of viewers only ever used these screens. In Réunion, Martinique and Guadeloupe, 13 to 24 year olds were most likely to watch on alternative screens. In French Guiana, 35 to 49 year olds used these screens more than 13 to 24 year olds. Across all of the territories, the working population and upper socio-professional categories were the biggest consumers of TV on alternative screens.

Another way to consume TV was time-shifted viewing and for all screens combined, between 2.8% and 3.7% of the overseas population did so on a daily basis. Although they were still small in number, they devoted considerable time to it: between an hour and a half and 2 hours 10 minutes, depending on the territory.

Radio takes hold on smartphones

Similar to television viewing, many of France's overseas citizens preferred to use mobile phones to listen to the radio. In the French West Indies and Guiana, roughly one-half of the population had already done so[3] (Guadeloupe: 47%, Martinique 51.5%, French Guiana 51.1%) In Réunion, 42.7% of people aged 13 and over had already listened to the radio on a mobile phone.

As for daily radio listening on each device, some differences between the territories were observed. French Guiana was home to the largest share of users opting for smartphones, with more than one-tenth of radio listening (twice the figure for consumption on a television set). In Réunion, mobile phones accounted for 7.1% of listening, and in Martinique, the figure was 4.5%, ahead of television sets. Guadeloupe was the exception, with listening via a television set (6.6%) more popular than smartphone use (4.4%).

More generally, listening to the radio across all digital devices was significant in the overseas territories. On average these devices accounted for 20.2% of daily radio listening in French Guiana, 13.4% in Guadeloupe, 13.2% in Réunion, and 11.1% in Martinique.

In the evening in Réunion, the contribution of digital devices significantly exceeded the average: more than 40% (40.6%) of the radio listened to between 8pm and midnight.

Time-shifted radio listening sessions also increased: roughly 1 in 4 overseas citizens had listened in that way, with about one-third listening again within one week.

Finally, podcasts were starting to attract listeners in the French overseas territories. In Réunion, the French West Indies and Guiana, nearly 60% of web users with “current internet access” were familiar with the concept of podcasts, and more than two-thirds of them had already listened to at least one podcast.

Guy Détrousselle concluded: "This consumption is changing rapidly, and Médiamétrie is following these practices ever more closely, through the Digital Usage Observatory study, as well as the additional audience collection modules: Global TV and Global Radio, thus providing publishers with a clearer picture of the rise in popularity of these new practices."

Laure Osmanian Molinero

Three questions for Laetitia de PERTHUIS, Media Consultant for the Overseas Territories

What is your analysis of mobile device ownership and use in the French West Indies, Guiana and Réunion? 

As is the case nationally, citizens in the overseas territories have been able to buy good quality cheaper Chinese handsets in recent years. Today, 8 out of 10 people living in the overseas territories own a smartphone. More mobile handsets and improvements to mobile internet coverage made by local operators have promoted the use of mobile internet. The process gathered pace and grew during the first lockdown. Smartphones allowed each individual to pass their lockdown period as they pleased within their households. Citizens in the overseas territories are very present on social media and the French overseas departments have not missed out on the TikTok phenomenon either. Mobile devices are now the most commonly used devices for getting online, used more often than computers!

How can we explain the different uses between the territories?

Usage is not uniform. This can be explained by socio-demographic criteria (for example, Guiana's young population), as well as by the quality of mobile internet. Coverage differs from one overseas department to the next, and also depends on the operator. ARCEP offers open data 4G coverage maps, as well as mobile service quality data reporting.

Although smartphones mean that everyone can retreat into their own world and surf the internet in a personalised way, social media browsing is a shared practice among France's four overseas departments. Facebook reigns supreme in Réunion, whereas WhatsApp dominates in the French West Indies and Guiana. The one constant is that mobiles are the go-to device for social media access: three-quarters of French overseas citizens access social media every day on their smartphone!

Most of them have already made an online purchase (nearly 70% in the French West Indies and Guiana and three-quarters of Réunion inhabitants). Purchase intentions are also high! Although they tend to complete internet orders on a computer, before making the purchase they normally research it using their mobile. Being mobile-first has long been a necessity for local brands!

How do you see the future of TV and mobile radio?

Listening to TV and radio via mobile is not a new phenomenon. For many years, the leading media have provided access to their programming on an ATAWAD basis (Any Time, Any Where, Any Device), through their app, website or Facebook page. Mobile is the device used by the majority of people wherever they go online: at home, away from home and on public transport. Listening to radio and watching TV live or on a mobile frees consumers from time and location constraints. There is every chance that it will last since during major sporting events, it compensates for the schedule differences on major national media out in the French overseas departments.

The Médiamétrie study revealed a breakthrough by radio podcasts and SVOD on screens, with Netflix clearly in the lead! However, audience data proved that overseas citizens were sticking with local programming and wanted local productions. Will television and radio eventually become mobile-only industries like music or photography? We will have to wait and see...

Away from the media, here are some national trends in mobile usage … let's see if they influence the French overseas departments:

• Clubhouse app, live shopping, the Internet of things managed via mobile app.

• QR codes, back in force with the health protection measures.

• M-payment, the development of electronic wallets and the rollout of payment on Facebook and Instagram.

• Everything that will promote e-commerce for French overseas citizens: wider delivery in the French overseas departments (not all major brands offer it); accessibility to super apps such as WeChat; the removal of obstacles to online shopping to win over those who continue their refusal to buy (for fear of scams or piracy in the case of two-thirds of them).

• Lastly, we must summon our patience for 5G to reach the French overseas departments...