A new Ion Media-commissioned Nielsen study confirms younger, more diverse audiences are increasingly turning to broadcast television.
Broadcast-Only TV Homes Up 41% In 5 Years
Ion Media commissioned Nielsen to study the growth of broadcast-only television households and their overall impact in the marketplace. The report’s data shows a steady rise in the number of broadcast-only homes over the last five years, increasing by 41% to 15.8 million households.
The study supports Ion Media’s continued TV station and affiliate portfolio expansion. Ion said its upcoming acquisitions will expand its nationwide footprint to 63 stations, making Ion the only network to operate TV stations in all 20 of the largest U.S. markets.
Broadcast television is also proving it isn’t just for older generations, as younger, Millennial viewers continue to discover its benefits. The report’s findings show that broadcast-only homes have a higher percentage of young viewers (median age 34.5) than total TV households (39.6). Additionally, 39% of broadcast-only homes have children in the household, compared to 34% of total TV households. Broadcast-only homes are also hard at work. According to the report, they have a greater composition of working head of householders than total TV homes, with 67% in the labor force.
The growing multicultural population has placed an emphasis on programming that caters to diverse audiences, Ion says. “This has become increasingly important among broadcast-only homes, as the report concluded that they represent a significantly higher composition of Hispanic, African-American and Asian households, 42%, compared to 30% of total TV households.”
Ion says its network portfolio tailors its offerings to audiences by providing viewers with a diverse slate of programming options from Ion Television, Ion Life and Qubo.
Comments (11)
kendra campbell says:
September 11, 2017 at 9:37 am
“Broadcast only” = OTA antenna. It also infers OTT streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, HBO Now, etc.
Dan Levitt says:
September 11, 2017 at 9:37 am
Broadcast-only increase is a no-brainer with the population cutting cable-tv, not that people are signing up for Broadcast for it’s content
Patrick Burns says:
September 11, 2017 at 10:11 am
You know the funds holding large cable position hate this report & deadline but a 5 year short on the cable big boys might not be a bad idea. Cable can not beat the MOHU antennae crowd etc.
NY City has over 100 off air signals , hello who needs cable !!
alicia farmer says:
September 11, 2017 at 10:17 am
Millennials dropping cable for streaming services – and buying Mohu antennas for a couple network programs, sports, etc. Grasping at straws.
Ellen Samrock says:
September 11, 2017 at 10:58 am
When you consider that about 17% of US households live below the poverty line and that the majority of those households are headed by Millennials, it shouldn’t be surprising that they would also comprise a higher number of broadcast-only households.
Veronica Serrano Padilla says:
September 11, 2017 at 4:50 pm
Advertisers will be happy to learn that most TV only households are poor and divert their advertising efforts to viewers who have money and can actually buy their products…
Snead Hearn says:
September 11, 2017 at 10:59 am
Most are opting for streaming services. I do not believe people are saying all we want is broadcast. If this were the case I would hope that the networks would really address the programming and commercial glut.
Veronica Serrano Padilla says:
September 11, 2017 at 4:53 pm
News article linked a few items below this one confirms this, pointing out that a majority of Millenials watch content after it has aired. Only 45% of time is spent with live television.
Don Thompson says:
September 11, 2017 at 2:22 pm
Fuzzy Math 1.0: Broadcast-Only TV Homes Up 41% In 5 Years [Not buying it] | https://buff.ly/2gYqXmr
Fuzzy Math 2.0: Do homes that have cut/shaved the cord automatically become broadcast-only homes? If yes, why? https://buff.ly/2gYqXmr
Fuzzy Math 3.0: Did anyone check to see if these broadcast-only homes actually have antennas? https://buff.ly/2gYqXmr
Funny Math 4.0: Put @TedatACA down as “skeptical” that an ION-commissioned study has looked at these numbers correctly https://buff.ly/2gYqXmr
Please Follow Me On Twitter: @TedatACA or @AmericanCable
Amneris Vargas says:
September 11, 2017 at 8:07 pm
Ted, you need to see Nielsen’s definition of Broadcast Only (and Broadband Only).
Cheryl Thorne says:
September 12, 2017 at 6:40 am
What do you expect from Nielsen … they are going to do all they can to seed the hole grail. The almighty $$ from the networks and station groups. The truth is prevailing and it’s not good news for networks and stations