Satellite and cable penetration both grow

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The Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) reports that more Americans than ever are receiving video programming from alternate delivery systems (ADS), primarily satellite TV. But its analysis of Nielsen data also found that cable penetration gained as well in the midst of the DTV transition.


As of May 2009, 28.4% of US television households were getting video service from an ADS, up from 28.1% a year earlier. That took ADS to 31.7% of all subscription television customers (anyone paying for cable/satellite/telco/other video services).

Meanwhile, though, wired cable penetration rose to 61.8% from 61.4% in May 2008. So, an increasing number of households are paying for a video service, rather than relying on over-the-air reception via an antenna. The combined total of cable and ADS for May 2009 was 90.2% of all households.

Top 10 in Markets 1-50

 

DMA
Name

ADS as %
TV HH


ADS as %
Subscription
TV HH*

1

Albuquerque-Santa Fe

42.5

51.5

2

Salt Lake City

39.5

48.4

3

Greenvll-Spart-Ashevll-And

42.4

47.7

4

Dallas-Ft. Worth

37.7

45.8

5

Birmingham (Ann and Tusc)

41.9

45.7

6

Memphis

39.2

44.8

7

St. Louis

38.4

44.0

8

Sacramnto-Stkton-Modesto

38.2

42.7

9

Los Angeles

36.1

41.9

10

Atlanta

38.6

40.8

       
     

Top 10 in Markets 51-100

 

DMA
Name

ADS as %
TV HH


ADS as %
Subscription
TV HH*

1

Springfield, MO

50.1

62.4

2

Shreveport

53.1

58.8

3

Little Rock-Pine Bluff

48.6

54.4

4

Fresno-Visalia

41.6

53.4

5

Paducah-Cape Girard-Harsbg

47.0

52.9

6

Jackson, MS

47.8

52.7

7

Spokane

43.2

50.2

8

Colorado Springs-Pueblo

41.6

49.0

9

Roanoke-Lynchburg

42.8

47.9

10

South Bend-Elkhart

37.2

45.8

       

* Wired cable, telco, or ADS systems such as satellite.

       

Top 10 in Markets 100+

 

DMA
Name

ADS as %
TV HH


ADS as %
Subscription
TV HH*

1

Columbus-Tupelo-West Point

54.8

61.2

2

Chico-Redding

49.8

59.3

3

Boise

43.5

58.4

4

Meridian

51.9

58.0

5

Idaho Fals-Pocatllo(Jcksn)

45.3

57.0

6

Tyler-Longview(Lfkn&Ncgd)

52.2

56.8

7

Columbia-Jefferson City

46.4

56.0

8

Missoula

44.6

55.7

9

Sherman-Ada

46.7

53.1

10

Joplin-Pittsburg

42.4

52.6

       

* Wired cable, telco, or ADS systems such as satellite.

       

RBR/TVBR observation: The next report from TVB should be even more interesting. How many households started paying for a video service, whether cable or ADS, once the digital transition was complete?