• by Wayne Friedman , May 20, 2009

Television viewing numbers continue to rise -- albeit slowly -- gaining over 1% in new viewers and 2% in overall usage in the first quarter of this year.

Nielsen's Three Screen Report, an analysis of Nielsen's Anywhere Anytime Media Measurement effort (A2/M2), shows that overall users of traditional TV age 2 plus stood at 284.5 million during an average month in the first quarter of 2009, versus 281.1 million in the first quarter of 2008.

Time-shifted TV viewing was one of the biggest new video gainers -- growing 37.3% to 79.5 million. Users watching video on the Internet rose 13% to 131.1 million. From a very small base, mobile video subscribers watching video rocketed 52.2% to 13.4 million.

Overall, time using TV still dominated over other media.

Average time per month by user ages 2 plus was 153 hours and 27 minutes -- a rise of 1.9%. Internet time usage of video climbed to exactly 3 hours per month, a 53.2% gain. Overall Internet usage was at 29 hours and 15 minutes -- a 4.6% climb versus the first quarter of 2008. Mobile video time was actually higher than the Internet: 3 hours and 37 minutes per month.

The biggest demographic in terms of time usage for TV was viewers 55-64, which clocked in with an average 195 hours and one minute of viewing per month. The lowest time for a specific demographic was with kids 2-11, who spent 108 hours and 45 minutes per month of viewing.

The biggest time-shifted usage came with 25-54s at 12 hours and 12 minutes. People ages 35-44 were the tops among overall Internet usage at 42 hours and 35 minutes. Watching video on the Internet was best with 18- to-24-year-olds at 5 hours and 7 minutes.

Mobile video viewing was tops among teens 12-17 at six hours and 30 minutes.