American DVR usage up fivefold in 5 years
March 2, 2012
Among the three major devices connected to TVs (video game consoles, DVRs and DVD players), DVRs account for the greatest percentage of Americans’ watching time, reports Nielsen. Since 2006 the percentage of time Americans spend watching live TV in the home has fallen from 89 per cent to 85 per cent. However, the amount of time each person spends viewing TV content (live or time-shifted) actually increased by 19 minutes year-over-year in the first four weeks of the 2011 season. In short, Americans are watching more, but more frequently on their own schedules.
The percentage of DVR usage has grown fivefold from 1.6 per cent in 2006 to almost 8 per cent in 2011, and DVRs are adding time to the TV day by allowing users to watch shows airing at the same time. Leading the trend in DVR usage are females 18-54, who allow almost 10 per cent of their TV viewing time to a DVR.
While usage of DVD players has decreased across every demographic since 2007, video game consoles have seen a rise. Since 2006, video game console usage has increased almost 40 per cent from 2.7 per cent to 3.9 percent of total TV time. The trend in console usage is driven by teens, who spend almost 11 per cent of their total TV time engaged with a video game console.