NEW YORK:
TV consumption continues to rise, according to Nielsen. Americans spent four hours and 49 minutes a day watching TV during the 2008-09 television season, the firm said. The total represented a four-minute increase from last year and a 20 percent hike from 10 years ago. The average household watched eight hours and 21 minutes a day on average--also an all-time high. (Figures since 2005 have included live viewing plus playback within seven days.)
Daily primetime viewing was flat compared to a year ago at one hour, 12 minutes per individual and one hour, 52 minutes per households. Both are up 2 and 6 percent respectively from 10 years ago.
Nielsen said the growth in TV watching could be “attributed to several factors including more television sets in the home, and Americans also have more channels and content to choose from and are using their DVRs more than ever.”
The breakdown of households viewing statistics dating back to 1950 is available here.
More on American TV viewing habits:
October 26, 2009: “Kid TV Viewing Reaches Eight-Year High”
American children aged 2 through 11 are watching more television than they have in years.
September 9, 2009: “TV Viewing Migrates to the Web”
Nearly one out of four U.S. households watches TV online, up from 20 percent last year, according to the quarterly Consumer Internet Barometer report from the nonprofit Conference Board.
July 20, 2009: “News Viewership Dips in 2Q”
The Big Three broadcast nets with a nightly newscast were off from the first quarter and 2Q08 in terms of all TV households. ABC and CBS logged the lowest numbers in at least four years.
(Image by Pitar Punk)
