Latest TV viewing trends in the US

Several of the observations in this latest study aren't surprising but it's interesting to see just how much live tv watching has fallen out of favor with younger consumers,

http://variety.com/2015/digital/news/str...udy-1201477318/

I wouldn't say streaming, but I DVD everything besides live sports, I don't want any network show live because I'm sick of the commercials.

Only a few shows I watch via Netfilx, House of Cards & Homeland.

If my wife didn't watch tv, I would game and read exclusively. Maybe a movie once in a while. And even now, it's streaming only in my house. Commercials are the worst.

Of which about 50% are for prescription medicines. Abilify, Vytorin, Dulera, Xarelto... and a host of others.

They're idiotic too.

That depends on what show you watch. If you're watching a show whose demographic is the over-49 crowd, you bet you'll see those kinds of commercials. You won't see them while watching Vampire Diaries on the CW, though, nor while watching Family Guy on Fox or Once Upon a Time on ABC, because old people don't watch them.

Watch the news, though, and you'd get the impression there's no one in the US left under retirement age.



The Jedi Master

I dropped my cable about 7 years ago and have had netflix for at least 6 years. Whenever we go anywhere (friends or restaurant with tvs) I am always surprised by how big of a percentage the commercials are compared to the show. Seems like all you watch is the damn commercials. I feel vindicated by my decision to drop cable every time I have to watch that many commercials. The only time it sucks is when there is a really prevalent / funny commercial everyone is talking about and I am in the dark and have to youtube the commercial.

Every now and then people talk about "did you see the new episode of..." and I have to say, nope I dont have cable and they all look at me funny. But really it has not been that big of a problem.

+1

The marketing for NASCAR races has always fascinated me. About 90% of the commercials are for pickup trucks, Wrangler jeans, beer and male enhancement prescription drugs.

Like Raj said in The Big Bang Theory, "one thing I learned from Super-bawl commercials, is that American men drink a lot of beer, have problems maintaining an erection, and need to pee too often."

On the subject, I don't remember when was the last time I had a TV set... 2006 or 7 maybe... Too many commercials and you have to watch stuff at a specific time. That's not cool. 100% streaming or DVD here.

With a DVR you don't have to watch the commercials or watch it at any particular time, you just have to set it to record.

In the "old days" of 20 years ago, TV shows had 15 mins of commercials per hour. Half hour shows had 7 or so.
The hour shows had breaks at the 15 min marks, so you had 4 acts. As time has progressed, shows have shrunk to 43, 42, and now roughly 41 minutes. However, at the same time the networks didn't want those breaks to be too long, so they switched to having 5 acts, an extra commercial break per hour. Half hour shows are now 21 mins if you're lucky.

Of course, go back and watch TV episodes from the early 80s or before and you'll notice they're 51 minutes! Not just the original Star Trek, but as late as the first couple of seasons of Moonlighting.




The Jedi Master