US TV universe declines
The percentage of US households with a TV has declined for the first time ever, according to Nielsen.
The preliminary data, which is based on the 2010 US census, shows that the number of TV households will be down two percentage points from 98.9% to 96.7% when the new estimates go into effect for 2012.
The downward shift is thought to be due to the digital switchover – which saw people fail to upgrade their sets – the recession and the increased availability of multi-platform viewing options.
Nielsen said that “the long-term effects of this are still unclear, as it’s undetermined if this is also an economic issue that will see these individuals entering the TV marketplace once they have the means, or the beginning of a larger shift to online viewing.”
Read the full MediaPost article here.