According to a new report from NeilsenMedia, The number of television channels that the average U.S. home receives has reached a record high of 104.2 TV channels, an increase of almost eight channels since 2005. In 2006, the average household tuned to 15.7, or 15.1% of the 104.2 channels available for at least 10 minutes per week.
General dramas still dominate the broadcast networks program lineups, comprising 50% (67 of 134) of the primetime programs, an increase of four programs since last year. And, the 30-second commercial is still the television advertising standard in primetime, accounting for 57% of all commercial units.
The percentage of homes receiving 100+ channels rose from 42% in 2005 to 47% in 2006, with 33% receiving between 60 and 99 channels, down 4% since 2005. Nielsen found that the average television household in the U.S. receives more than 17 broadcast TV channels, while 58% of all homes can receive 15 or more, and 36% receive 20 or more.
In 2006, the average household tuned to 15.7 (or 15.1%) of the 104.2 channels available. This compares to 2000, when the average home viewed 22.1% of the available channels (13.6 channels viewed out of 61.4 available channels).
Number of Channels Available in the Average U.S. Home | |||
Year | # of Channels Available | # of Channels Viewed | % of Available Channels Viewed |
2006 | 104.2 | 15.7 | 15.1% |
2005 | 96.4 | 15.4 | 16.0% |
2004 | 92.6 | 15.0 | 16.2% |
2000 | 61.4 | 13.6 | 22.1% |
1995 | 41.1 | 10.1 | 24.6% |
1990 | 33.2 | n/a | n/a |
1985 | 18.8 | n/a | n/a |
Source: Nielsen Media Research, National People Meter Sample |
The total number of primetime broadcast programs and news programs has decreased slightly since last year. The number of Live Variety programs has declined as well, dropping from 15 in 2005 to 13 in 2006. Situation Comedies have dropped from 35 to 28 total programs.
Types of Primetime Programs on Broadcast Networks | |
Program Type | # of Programs 2006-07 Season |
General Drama | 67 |
Situation Comedy | 28 |
Feature Film | 3 |
News | 4 |
Other (sports events, animation, quiz shows) | |
14 | |
Variety | 13 |
Suspense Mystery | 0 |
Adventure, Sci Fi, Western | 5 |
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
An analysis of trends in broadcast network commercials shows that:
Other TV facts from the Nielsen Study include:
For additional information, please visit Nielsen here.