Close to all (97%) of Americans watch TV in their homes, double the number (48%) who now watch video online, according to [download page] an October 2011 report from Nielsen. Results from “The Cross-Platform Report” indicate that mobile subscribers watching video online in Q2 2011 grew 36% year-over-year, and now constitute 10% of the American population. The number of Americans watching time-shifted TV also grew 13% from Q2 2010, to more than one-third of the population.
Mobile Subscribers Watching More Video
Among mobile subscribers, the average time spent watching video is four hours and 20 minutes per month, representing a 20% increase from Q2 2010, but remaining stagnant from Q1 2011. Even with already pervasive usage levels, traditional TV viewing saw an increase of 2 hours 43 minutes per month from 2010, but dropped slightly from the preceding quarter. Since Q2 2010, time-shifted TV viewing rose 11% among all TV homes, while time spent watching video on the internet grew by 15%.
Most Mobile Video Viewers are Young Adults
According to the study, the 18-34 demographic accounts for over half (51%) of the mobile subscriber video viewing population. Americans over 35 make up just over a third (36%) of the population watching video on mobile phones, but are far more likely to be found watching TV or video online. In fact this demographic accounts for roughly 60% of the population watching videos online and almost two thirds of TV viewers (64%). TV viewing clearly skews towards the elderly, with the 65+ age group spending the most time watching TV (205 hours per month), more than double the amount of time spent by 12-17 year-olds (99 hours per month).
Women, Blacks Watch Most TV
Among Americans consuming video content, females across all age categories watch most on TV, with the 50+ demographic leading at over 200 hours per month. By contrast, males across all age demographics watch more video on the internet and on mobile phones, led by the 18-49 group, at roughly six and four hours respectively. When sorting by ethnicity, some pronounced differences emerge: African-Americans watch more than double the amount of TV (202 hours per month) than Asians (97 hours), while whites spend the most time watching DVR playback (25 hours per month) and timeshifted TV (12 hours per month) and the least amount of time watching video on the internet or on their mobile phones (each less four hours per month).
Nielsen: Prime Time Weekday TV Beats Other Entertainment
Prime time weekday TV has a significantly higher reach than many other forms of electronic entertainment among US adults age 18-49, according to a study released in October 2011 by The Nielsen Company. Results from “Cross-Platform is the New Norm” indicate that during May 2011, TV had a higher reach in this segment than online, DVD or DVR playback, and video games between 6 PM and 7 AM, with a notable spike between 8 PM and midnight.
