• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer, May 30, 2014

According to a recent Nielsen report, while advertisers are looking for primetime ad space, the real opportunities lie with the viewers, who continue to access and engage with TV content in a variety of ways. Knowing when and where to find consumers is crucial to reach them, and ensure ads break through the clutter and catch attention.

When it comes to primetime television programming, says the report, gone are the days where the Friday night line up, or must-see-TV Thursdays, ruled our content consumption. With the addition of more networks that offer innumerable programming options, viewers can be more selective about when they turn on their tubes.  

According to Nielsen’s Advertising and Audiences report, Sundays ranked highest for primetime TV usage with an average of 125 million Americans using their TV sets. Monday was not far behind, as 120 million U.S. viewers had a TV set in use. Friday (107 million) and Saturday (108 million) had the least number of viewers using their TVs during the 2013-2014 season through January.  

In the U.S., people watched an average of 155 hours of traditional TV a month during the fourth quarter of 2013. For perspective, that’s 21%, or five hours of the day! And audiences are viewing more content across screens. Americans watched an average of 14 hours of time-shifted TV per month and spent an average of 34 hours and 27 hours using smartphone apps and the Internet, respectively, during the same period.

Video viewing through multimedia devices, such as Apple TV and Roku, is also on the rise, with viewers averaging over an hour a month streaming to their TVs. When it comes to online video consumption, Americans now average 7.5 hours per month streaming video on their computers.

Good content gets people talking, says the report. With social media now a routine element of the TV-viewing experience, audiences are moving seamlessly across platforms to view and talk about their favorite shows.

According to Nielsen, 86% of U.S. smartphone owners say they use their devices while watching TV, and nearly half do it every single day.

While watching, more than 40% of tablet owners are using their devices to look up information about characters, while others email or text (29%), check social media conversations (18%), or send in votes or comments about shows they are watching (12%).

 For more information from Nielsen Advertising & Audiences, please visit here.