Death of TV: Number of households with television set drops for first time in 20 years



Increasing number of viewers watch TV on their laptops

The number of homes in the U.S without a TV set has dropped for the first time in 20 years.

The fall has been triggered by the recession, with many unable to afford a new set, and a growing number of viewers happy streaming programmes on their laptops.



The number of houses in America with a TV had dropped from 98.9 per cent to 96.7 per cent, research from the Nielson Company found.

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A lot of low income households are likely to have owned a TV but been unable to have it repaired if it has broken, or could not afford a new digital set.



According to the New York Times, Nielsen is considering redefining the term 'television household' due to how many people are solely watching TV shows and movies on the internet rather than buying a TV.

A spokesman for the firm, Pat McDonough, told the New York Times: 'We’ve been having conversations with clients. That would be a big change for this industry, and we’d be doing it in consultation with clients if we do it.'



Nielsen’s household figures suggest that while the TV set is still firmly at the centre of the average American’s media life, a small minority of Americans are finding ways to live without it.



In a report released today, Neilson will blame the 'persistently rocky economy' for the downturn as it took on the same trend in 1992 following a prolonged recession.



The worry is that the decline will continue and start affecting TV networks, studios and distributors.

Young people increasingly stream television shows on their laptop, fuelling the decline in TV ownership

Nielsen’s estimates incorporate the results of the 2010 census as well as the behaviour of the approximately 50,000 Americans in the national sample that the company relies upon to make ratings projections.



Ms McDonough said: 'One thing we are seeing in the Nielsen sample are fewer people owning TVs. It was first evident in the sample in late 2008 during the worst of the financial crisis and the recession.'



She said that the TV-less households generally have incomes less than $20,000 (£12,000).



'They are at the bottom of the economic spectrum for whom, if the TV breaks or the antenna blows off the roof they have to think long and hard about what to do,' she said.



'If you’re an affluent household - or most middle-class households - you’re going to get a satellite dish. If you’re a struggling household, likely you’re not going to be able to afford that option either.'