TV continued to dominate video consumption in the US and consumption in Q1 according to Nielsen’s Total Audience Report for Q1 2018. The average adult spent 4 hrs 46 mins watching live and time-shifted TV and an additional 46 minutes watching content on TV-connected devices. Consumption on other devices was miniscule by comparison: the average adult spent just 10 mins viewing video on a smartphone, 10 minutes on a computer and five minutes on a tablet.
However, radio has the highest weekly reach in percentage terms and is used by 92 percent of the population, beating even TV’s 88 percent reach.
Whilst social media continues to play and important role in the US media landscape, the actual time spent using it per day was about 45 mins per day, illustrating why boosting video consumption is the core focus for pretty much all of the social networks:
Whilst the video strategies used by social networks are undoubtedly paying off, it’s equally interesting to consider how many users simply aren’t using social networks to consume video content at all:
Some of the other highlights from the report include:
- 92% of U.S. adults listen to radio each week, the highest reach across platforms.
- On average, U.S. adults are spending over 11 hours a day connected to linear and digital media and almost six hours a day with video alone.
- Young adults 18-34 spend the largest percentage of time with TV-connected devices and digital devices compared to other demographics.
- Black adults are the heaviest users of media overall.
- Compared to overall U.S., Hispanics listen to more radio, and Asian Americans spend more time with computers and tablets.
- Nearly three percent of TV homes subscribe to a virtual multichannel video programming distributor (vMVPD).
- Almost 20 percent of consumers use a smart speaker in the household.
- Two-thirds of U.S. TV households have devices capable of streaming content to the TV set.
- One out of ten minutes of television use in streaming capable homes is streaming to the TV set.
- Over eight in ten non-television households still view video content.
