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State of the Screens

What To Know From Nielsen’s Total Audience Report

By April 1, 2021No Comments

Average time spent w/ video (YoY growth) according to Nielsen:
1) 2017-Q3 – 5h 27m
2) 2018-Q3 – 5h 24m (↓ 1%)
3) 2019-Q3 – 5h 22m (↓ 1%)
4) 2020-Q3 – 5h 21m (↓ 0%)

Average Time Spent Per Adult 18+ Per Day on Video

Average time spent w/ video by screen (% of total):
1) Live TV  –  3h 41m (69%)
2) OTT/Connected TV – 1h 5m (20%)
3) Smartphone  – 0h 15m (5%)
4) Desktop/Laptop  – 0h 12m (4%)
5) Tablet  – 0h 8m (2%)

Average time spent w/ media (YoY growth):
1) 2017-Q3 – 10h 30m
2) 2018-Q3 – 10h 30m (↑ 0%)
3) 2019-Q3 – 11h 54m (↑ 13%)
4) 2020-Q3 – 10h 00m (↓ 16%)

Average Time Spent Per Adult 18+ Per Day

Our take: It is probably safe to assume media consumption did not drop 16% YoY during the pandemic. The 2019-Q3 number may be the issue.

Daily hours of usage by age group:
1) 65+  – 11h 53m
2) 50–64 – 11h 28m
3) 35–49 – 9h 36m
4) 18–34 – 7h 38m
5) 18+  – 10h 00m

Ad-supported share of streaming time:
1) JAN-21 – 26%
2) JAN-20 – 24%

Share of Streaming Among Streaming Capable Homes

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.

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