Americans not tuning out TV, are looking for more options

According to the latest US Census about 96% of America’s 119 million households have at least one television. The Consumer Electronics Association report finds that about 10% of those are considering turning off television in favor of online options. More than two-thirds (76%) say they are ‘very unlikely’ to cancel their existing television service.

“American households are not cutting their pay television service. CEA research finds only one in ten households (10%) report they are either ―very likely∥ or ―likely∥ to cancel their pay television service. In addition, despite increasing options for viewing content, the television remains the standard CE device for most Americans. However, the growth of options for viewing television content – from televisions to computers to smartphones – will only help content providers expand viewership,” was written in the report.

Knowledge Networks, however, finds that about 15% of US households rely on antennae to view TV, up about 4 million from 2010 numbers. Most of these homes are lower-income, but this large based of the population would likely be without television service if not for broadcast only signals. These households may also be without broadband, making online viewing an impossibility.