Forget Cord-Cutting: Monthly TV Viewing Is Up 2 Hours Over 2009
Hulu, YouTube and other Internet-video services simply aren’t peeling Americans away from their TV sets.
In Q1 2010, the estimated 292 million people in the U.S. with TVs watched an average of 158 hours and 25 minutes of television per month, up two hours from 156 hours and 24 minutes last year, according to Nielsen’s latest Three Screen Report. Time-shifted viewing (DVR and VOD usage) over that period grew 14.7%, to 9 hours, 36 minutes per month.
By contrast, monthly time spent watching online video was 3 hours, 10 minutes in Q1 2010 — less than 2% of the time people spent tuned to the boob tube — up 13% over 3 hours per month Q1 2009.
And interestingly, time spent per month “using the Internet on a PC” dropped 13.1% year-over-year, to 25 hours and 26 minutes vs. 29 hours and 15 minutes in Q1 2009, according to Nielsen.
Other findings: More than half of American television households — 52.7% — have HDTVs and receive HD service (as of May 23). That’s up more than threefold from 16.6% in the first quarter of 2008. HD-capable households watch 3% more primetime TV than non-HD homes, according to Nielsen.
Meanwhile, 36.6% of U.S. TV households now have DVRs, compared with 24.0% in Q1 2008, Nielsen says. Broadband penetration was at 63.5% for Q1 2010 vs. 51.3% two years earlier.
Todd Spangler commented:
The point is traditional TV viewing -- far from being impeded by Internet video services as some in the industry have feared -- has continued to climb upward.
But you're right, the Nielsen data doesn't directly address cord-cutting intent per se. So how about this: "Less than 1% of cable subscribers who are likely to switch mention getting all the programs they want on the Internet or in other ways as a reason for potentially switching" -- according to Leichtman Research Group: www.leichtmanresearch.com/press/061010release.html
Shuttleman commented:
How does increased total TV viewing tell us anything about whether people would trade conventional cable or satellite for internet fed TV? All we know from this is that total viewing increased slightly (~1.5%) while internet viewing grew at a 13% clip. The cord cutting may or may not be real but this doesn't illuminate that trend at all.