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State of the Screens

TV antennas are making a comeback in the age of digital streaming

By January 9, 2019No Comments

Old is new: The sale of rabbit ears antennas are estimated to have hit 8M in 2018.

Sales of broadcast antennas according to the Consumer Technology Association:
1)
2016–7.5M
2) 2017–8.0M (↑ 7%)
3) 2018–8.1M (↑ 1%)

Antenna only households according to Nielsen:
1)
2014–10%
2)
2018–14%

Households with digital antennas according to Nielsen/GFK:
1)
2014–12M
2)
2015–13M
3)
2016–14M
4)
2017–16M
5)
2018–16M

Quote from Billy Hayden — Analyst @ Parks Associates:
“I can’t tell you how many people that we know in everyday life who ask, ‘You’re in this industry — how do I cut the cord?… Interestingly it’s not an easy answer. ‘Do you watch live TV? Do you care about news? Do you care about sports?’ There is no one clean answer for everyone. It’s a bit of a mix, and antennas are a part of that.”

Flashback #1: Rabbit Ears No More

Flashback #2: Broadcast-only TV households up 41% since 2012, study says

Median age according to Nielsen:
1) Broadcast TV Only: 34.5
2) All TV HH: 39.6

Flashback #3: Millennials Unearth an Amazing Hack to Get Free TV: the Antenna

More #1: Channels starting to get cut as cable TV struggles for life

More #2: Television is still the most dominant media, but more young adults are connecting via internet

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.