Advanced Television

Cable losing out to satellite

December 18, 2007

More American TV households are receiving video programming via an alternate delivery system (ADS) than ever before while MSOs' penetration continued to fall, according to a TVB analysis of Nielsen Media Research data for November 2007. Fifteen DMAs (Designated Market Areas) are now majority-ADS markets, where more viewers are watching via satellite than over wired cable.

According to Nielsen NTI data, national ADS penetration reached 28 per cent of television households in November 2007, up from 24.5 per cent in November 2006, and now represents 31.6 per cent of subscription television customers (those paying for video delivery). Over the same period, national wired-cable penetration of television households fell from 62.1 per cent to 61.3 per cent — the last time wired cable was lower was in February 1990.

Direct broadcast satellite (DBS) delivery, the largest component of ADS, is now estimated at 27.6 per cent of television households, up from 24.0 per cent in November 2006.

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