While the 500-channel universe predicted by John Malone more than two decades ago is still in the distance, Americans now have access to 189 TV channels to watch on average. And they watch about 17 of them on a regular basis, the latest research from Nielsen's Advertising and Audience's Report said.
The report, to be available soon, suggests that the growing plethora of connected devices to watch more content "doesn't seem to be having an impact on our TV viewing preferences," Nielsen said in a press release.
Despite the audience's laser focus on a limited number of channels, more options continue to be made available. In 2008, research suggested that the average home received just 129 channels. Sixty more have been added in the ensuing six years.
The data "substantiates the notion that more content does not necessarily equate to more channel consumption. And that means quality is imperative--for both content creators and advertisers," the researchers concluded.
For more:
- Nielsen has this press release
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