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Americans Watching More TV Than Ever; Web and Mobile Video Up too

May 20, 2009

Americans may choose to consume video on the “best screen available,” yet traditional TV remains the screen of choice.

The recent results of Nielsen’s Three Screen Report – a quarterly analysis from Nielsen’s Anywhere Anytime Media Measurement initiative (A2/M2) – show that the average American watches approximately 153 hours of TV every month at home, a 1.2% increase from last year. In addition, the 131 million Americans who watch video on the Internet watch on average about 3 hours of video online each month at home and work. The 13.4 million Americans who watch video on mobile phones watch on average about 3 ½ hours of mobile video each month.

More Time Watching All Screens

In addition, Nielsen data shows that consumers’ time with TV, Internet and Mobile video continues to increase across the board. Online video grew 13% in Q1 2009, driven by both strong brand marketing and large media events including the Presidential inauguration, the Super Bowl and March Madness. With broadband levels increasing in the U.S., online video audiences will continue to grow as consumers begin to upgrade their PCs to support increased video consumption. Mobile video viewing has grown a significant 52% from the previous year, up to 13.4 million Americans. Much of this growth continues to come from increased mobile content and the rise of the mobile web as a viewing option.

Out of all different age groups, 18-24 year olds show signs of watching DVR and online video the same amount of time – timeshifting 5 hrs, 47 minutes per month, and watching video online 5 hrs, 3 minutes each month.

Download the complete Q1 09 A2/M2 Three Screen Report from Nielsen.

° TV in the Home includes those viewing at least one minute within the measurement period. This includes Live viewing plus any playback within 7 day; Timeshifted TV is playback
primarily on a DVR but including playback on services like Start Over as well as playback from a DVD recorder.
* TV in the Home includes Live viewing plus any playback viewing within 7 days. Timeshifted TV is playback primarily on a DVR but including playback services like Start Over as well
as playback from a DVD recorder.
** Internet figures are from home and work. Hours:minutes for Internet and video use are based on the universe of persons who used the Internet/watched online video.
All Internet figures are monthly averages over the course of the quarter.
^ The average monthly unique users of mobile phones and mobile video in 1Q 2009 and 4Q 2008, based on Nielsen Mobile surveys and CTIA projection of U.S. wireless subscriptions.
Video user projection, time spent and composition data based on survey analysis of past 30 day use during the period. The mobile video audience figures in this report for 1Q 2009
and 4Q 2008 include mobile phone users who access mobile video through any means (including mobile Web, subscription-based, downloads and applications). Projection of all
subscribers is based on persons 2+. Projection of mobile video viewers, and all other mobile video estimates, based on subscribers 13+.
^^ Nielsen Mobile’s survey reports mobile video usage for those users 13 and older. Thus, 12-17 is T13-17 for all mobile data.
°° A65+ base size too small to report mobile video hours:minutes
For press inquiries or for more information on this article contact Nielsen
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  • http://www.serendipitini.com Teena Stewart

    Wow. That's a lot of wasted time. Imagine all of the productive things you could do by cutting out some of those hours.

  • Looking for Quiet

    153 hours is an AVG, too. There are those of us who watch very little TV, and not much internet video watching either. If this is just an overall avg, there are people out there way over that 153. And I know at least a couple of these. Their TV is never OFF, and if you go over to their house, there it is, blasting away in the background, so loud you can't think. It would never occur to these people to turn the thing Off when someone comes over.

  • http://www.ritani.com Ritani

    Almost a year later, I am interested to see the number from 2009 to 2010….

    I think that you will see very different numbers…

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