Published On: February 26, 2015

Millennials Abandoning Traditional TV at Faster Pace

Published On: February 26, 2015
Last Updated on: October 31, 2020
We May Earn From Purchases Via Links

Millennials Abandoning Traditional TV at Faster Pace

Recent Nielsen figures show that younger viewers are abandoning traditional TV usage at more than double the rate of previous years, according to the New York Post. Between just September and January, TV usage fell 10.6 percent among viewers age...

Millennials Abandoning Traditional TV at Faster Pace

By Author: Home Theater Review
The staff at HomeTheaterReview.com is comprised of experts who are dedicated to helping you make better informed buying decisions.

Tablet-tv-watching.jpgRecent Nielsen figures show that younger viewers are abandoning traditional TV usage at more than double the rate of previous years, according to the New York Post. Between just September and January, TV usage fell 10.6 percent among viewers age 18 to 34, and the median age of the traditional TV audience has officially hit 50.

From the New York Post
The biggest TV drama among millennials is playing off screen.

So far this season, younger viewers, the most important audience for advertisers, have ditched their TV sets at more than double the rate of previous years, new Nielsen figures show.

Traditional TV usage -- which has been falling among viewers ages 18 to 34 at around 4 percent a year since 2012 -- tumbled 10.6 percent between September and January.
In the era of smartphones and Netflix, it's no surprise that traditional TV is losing relevance for younger viewers. But the sudden acceleration is alarming to even the most seasoned analysts.

"The change in behavior is stunning. The use of streaming and smartphones just year-on-year is double-digit increases," Alan Wurtzel, NBCUniversal's audience research chief, told The Post. "I've never seen that kind of change in behavior."

Brad Adgate, Horizon Media's chief researcher and often one of the first to spot trouble, was equally surprised at the sudden drop.

"Usage is really down in the 18- to 34-year-old demographic this season," he said.

This season's steep slide means there are almost 20 percent fewer young adults watching their TV sets in primetime than four years ago.

In 2011, 21.7 million young adults tuned in to their TV sets. By the end of last month, that figure had fallen to 17.8 million, according to Nielsen figures.

Adding insult to injury, the median age of the TV audience hit 50 this year. That's older than the 18- to 49-year-old audience that network executives have banked on for decades.

To read the full NY Post article, click here.

Additional Resources
Why I Don't Pay For Cable at HomeTheaterReview.com.
Nielsen to Measure Netflix/Amazon Streaming at HomeTheaterReview.com.

Subscribe To Home Theater Review

Get the latest weekly home theater news, sweepstakes and special offers delivered right to your inbox
Email Subscribe
© JRW Publishing Company, 2023
As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases.

magnifiercross
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram
Share to...