• by Wayne Friedman , February 3, 2020

There is some good viewing news for traditional TV networks -- while there are fewer overall viewers, those who are still watching linear TV are spending more time watching.

Over the last five years -- from the fourth quarter of 2014 to fourth quarter of 2019 -- average TV “tune” length grew 11% to 30.8 minutes for people over the age of 18 on broadcast from 27.7 minutes, says MoffettNathanson Research.  This is similar to that on cable networks -- up 10% to 23.1 minutes in 2019 from 21.0 minutes in 2014.

Forty-four of 106 networks grew in the average length of tuning in for viewers. The biggest gainers were Turner’s Headline News and CBS’s Pop network and its Smithsonian Channel.

The downside is that broadcast and cable TV networks continue to see generally lower reach. For all broadcast networks, the average reach was 67% of adults 18 years and older -- down from 82% five years before.

Cable networks also dropped, to 12.5% in 2019 from 19.8% in 2014.

Only two of the 106 networks grew in reach -- Motor Trend and Spanish-language network Galavision. On the other end of things, among the remaining 104 networks, Lifetime and AMC declined the most in terms of reach.

Total 18-49 Nielsen-measured viewing declined 12% to 17.96 million viewers in the fourth quarter of 2019 versus the same period a year before in average commercial minute primetime ratings at broadcast/cable networks.