Although new premium digital video platforms are growing, one fact has remained the same about TV consumption: The less money one earns, the more TV will be watched.
Nielsen’s Total
Audience Report for the third quarter says “lower income adults have greater television usage across all hours of the day.” Adults in TV households with income under $25,000 watched 211
hours/14 minutes of monthly live TV and DVR/time-shifted TV.
On the flip side, those who make $75,000 and more view virtually half that level -- at 113 hours/41 minutes. TV homes with incomes
of $25,000 and $50,000 tally 172 hours/25 minutes of TV, while TV homes with incomes of $50,000 and $75,000 at a 144 hours/30 minutes.
Those with lower income also have the greatest difference
in viewing versus higher income people between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Nielsen says usage trends are similar for lower incomes across all other media as well, including
multimedia devices, AM/FM radio, Internet on a PC, game console, DVD/Blu-Ray device, and app/Web use on a smartphone.
Only with app/Web usage on a tablet does lower income households take a
backseat when it comes to monthly media usage, coming in third place to those who make $50,000 and $75,000.
Connected TV devices also show some different trends. While lower incomes use these
devices -- including DVD, gaming consoles and multimedia devices -- more in the day than other income groups, the highest income homes have the most usage during prime-time hours.