Average Hours Spent Watching Cable TV Up In '11, Time With Broadcast Nets Down

The average number of hours that people watched ad-supported cable TV nets was up in ’11, while the number of hours spent watching the four main broadcast channels was down, according to data from Nielsen Media. The average ad-supported cable TV network viewer watched 17 hours of programming per week in ’11, up from 16.6 hours the last two years. Broadcast TV viewers watched 7.8 hours of programming per week, down from an average of 7.9 hours last year and eight hours in ’09. The average primetime rating on ad-supported cable nets was up 3% from ’10, with viewership among adults 18-49 also up 3%. Among the four broadcast nets, the primetime ratings average was down 3%, with adults 18-49 down 6%. The most recent data also showed that DVR penetration has grown to 43% of all U.S. homes, accounting for 45% of all TV viewers. The end of last year had DVR penetration at 38% of homes. Listed below are average hours of TV viewing per person per week in ’11 through Dec. 11, along with performance in primetime (THE DAILY).

NOTE: * = Includes Spanish broadcast networks, independent networks, Disney, Nick Jr., premium pay channels and all other tuning.