Traditional TV viewership has been declining -- most dramatically among younger viewers, specifically those 18-24.
Magna Global says this narrow target of young viewers dropped 14%
this season through October versus last season for live, DVR and VOD usage from a year ago. These viewers are just watching 4.7 hours of prime time per week.
Magna Global adds that overall,
NFL TV ratings this season are down across all networks — with the declines largely coming at the hands of 18-24 viewers. Those viewers are down 19% on NBC; 15% on NFL Network; 13% for Fox, 13%;
12% for CBS; and 10% for ESPN.
But TV supporters should note that traditional television viewing still makes up 68% of all video time for adults 18-24 — at 19.4 hours per week.
Young 18-24 viewers are increasingly moving to new digital media areas. Around 15% of 18-24 homeowners are broadband-only homes. This compares to 4% broadband-only residences for
all U.S. homes.
advertisement
advertisement
Magna Global estimates that TV viewing through a video-game console has grown 9% this year among 18-24 viewers, with viewing on a mobile devices up 36%.
Adults 18-24 spend over 9.5 hours per week consuming video on non-traditional platforms: PC, mobile and OTT.
Other older viewing groups have also witnessed declines in traditional TV
usage, although not as steep.
Viewers 25-34 are down 8% to 6.7 hours prime-time hours per week, while 35-54 viewers fell 5% to 8.4 hours. Even older groups are slipping: 55-64 viewers are down
3% to 10.7 hours per week and those 65+ slipped 1% to 12.6 hours per week.