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State of the Screens

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

By February 6, 2018No Comments

% 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

Michael Beach

Michael Beach is the Chief Executive Officer of Cross Screen Media, a media analytics and software company that enables marketers to plan, activate, and measure CTV and linear TV at the local level. Michael is also the founder and editor of State of the Screens, a weekly newsletter focused on video advertising that is a must-read for thought leaders in the advertising industry. He has appeared in such publications as PBS Frontline, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Axios, CNBC and Bloomberg, and on NPR’s Planet Money podcast.