Americans Are Moving Away Faster Than Ever from Traditional TV

Have you ever 'binge-watched' a show? We've been hooked on 'Sons of Anarchy' on Netflix. I can't remember the last time I actually sat down and watched a full episode of a network TV show. There is so much junk on network TV. The other day I saw a promo for some show where woman goes into the woods to have a baby. Really? Anything with the word 'Kardashian' repels me. I do like to watch the local newscasts, though.

Traditional television watching is declining faster than ever as streaming services become a mainstream feature in American homes.

According to a story from the Washington Post, new research by Nielsen shows that adults watched an average of four hours and 51 minutes of live TV each week in the fourth quarter of 2014, down 13 minutes from the same quarter of 2013. Viewing was down six minutes between the fourth quarter of 2013 and 2012. And between 2012 and 2011, viewing time actually increased for live TV.

At the same time, more homes turned to online video, with 40 percent of U.S. homes subscribing to a streaming service such as Netflix, Amazon Instant Video or Hulu compared with 36 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013. Netflix is by far the most popular streaming service, in 36 percent of all U.S. homes, and Amazon Instant Video is in 13 percent of homes.

Cable ratings among adults fell 9 percent in 2014, three times the rate of decline over 2013.

In response, companies such as HBO, NBC and CBS are launching their own streaming services.

Television is still king, with viewers of all ages getting the vast majority of their video entertainment and news from live programs and using time-shifted services such as DVRs. But even older viewers are spending less time watching live TV and programs saved on DVRs. (Washington Post)