TV Still Leads A Changing Viewing World

In a world in which TV everywhere is increasingly the goal, linear TV remains king, generating by far the biggest audiences and the greatest wealth for program creators. But as opportunities to organize and interact with TV programming proliferate, both online and on mobile devices, TV executives and content creators must be aware of how their medium is changing, and plan how to maximize future revenue streams. Live, linear TV viewing is up 23% from third-quarter 2008, and at least some of that increase may have been spurred by all the exposure TV shows are getting on the Internet. "People with Internet access watch more TV than they did five years ago," said Scott Brown, SVP of strategy and digital platforms at Nielsen, who noted that the trend is apparent even among viewers under 18. Despite the growth in watching in front of a TV set, time-shifted viewing is up 22.5%, Brown said, while online video consumption is up 35%, with 42% of online video consumption occurring during the day, when most people are at work.