Nine out of 10 US adults (18+) use linear platforms in the average week, according to Nielsen Total Audience Report over Q1, 2018.
Live + time-shifted TV viewing reached 88% of persons in the first quarter of 2018, while radio had the largest reach across platforms at 92%. Radio also reaches 96% of all Hispanic adults each week.
Over a third of persons use their internet connected devices (including apps on their smart TVs) during the average week, with a higher reach of 43% for Asian Americans. Computer reach is highest with Asian Americans as well, with 71% using the device weekly. Regardless of race or ethnicity, smartphones remain universally popular, reaching four out of five adults while tablets are used by less than half of all adults weekly.
“The way people consume content is vastly different from what it was five years ago, let alone 10 or 20,” said Peter Katsingris, SVP, Audience Insights, Nielsen.
“Consumers have the luxury of more options now than ever before. They can watch videos or listen to music on their smartphone and then just as easily engage with completely different content on their television or radio—the opportunities for how marketers can reach them are endless. Understanding the trends of who’s consuming content, what they’re consuming, and how are the foundations of the industry. Nielsen is uniquely positioned to accurately help the media ecosystem understand these behaviors.”
Other insights from the report: 92% of US adults listen to radio each week, the highest reach across platforms.
On average, US 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 US, Hispanics listen to more radio, and Asian Americans spend more time with computers and tablets.
Nearly three percent of TV homes subscribe to a vMVPD which includes “skinny bundles.”
Almost 20% of consumers say they use a smart speaker in the household.
Two thirds of US TV households have devices capable of streaming content to the TV set.
One out of 10 minutes of television use in streaming capable homes is streaming to the TV set.
Over 8 in 10 non-television households still view video content.