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Media Use: Smartphones Up, TV Down — With TV Viewers Growing More Selective

% change over past 5 years:
1) Individual show ratings: ↓ 25%
2) TV viewing/person: ↓ 15%

The most interesting finding was that viewers were watching fewer total networks even as their choices expanded.

If everyone is watching fewer networks, then shouldn’t it be easier to reach them with advertising? Yes, but they are watching different networks which requires buying more networks to reach the same number of viewers.

The number of viewers who watch 1–2 networks per day has doubled.

% of viewers reached through one primetime spot on each of the big 3 networks:
1) 35 years ago: ≈ 100%
2) Today: 5%

An advertiser would have to buy ads on 135 different TV networks today to equal the reach from major networks 35 years ago

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