Watching television is certainly not what it used to be, although TV ownership is dropping, more getting their TV fix via the internet.
Consumers finding new ways to watch TV
The Nielsen Company said in a report released early Tuesday that nearly three-quarters of the 5 million homes that don’t get television through the airwaves are still finding their favorite shows through other means.
Internet TV services like Netflix and the Apple TV set-top box are leading the charge as users begin cutting their cable subscription and moving to streaming services.
Three years ago nearly 99 percent of homes were receiving television through over-the-air broadcast channels, satellite, and even standard cable. Now however, just 96% of the viewing audience is watching television through these outlets–and the number is expected to continue to decrease.
Why? Online service like Netflix, Apple, Amazon and even Hulu Plus are changing the way we watch television. For those who are not sports fans, these services offer essentially the same content, with little to no commercial interruption for a fraction of the cost.
The decline has also been attributed to a poor economy–where cable service is one of the first things people cut back on–now they can still get their favorite shows without breaking the bank.
Neilson reports that for the first quarter for 2012, average consumers spent 2 percent less time watching traditional television, instead opting to view content on mobile devices or through PC’s connected to the internet. Another factor that many did not see coming is the fact that a large percentage of people are viewing television content through gaming consoles.
“The gaming devices are becoming entertainment hubs,” said Donna Turilll of Neilson Co. She continued to lament that online streaming through game consoles are just one way to reach the younger audience through television content.
People aged 65 or older spend an average 48 hours per week watching television traditionally–compared to just 22 minutes per week for teenagers aged 12 to 17 who are most likely getting their television content through a gaming console instead of a cable subscription.