ION Media-Commissioned Nielsen Study Confirms Younger, More Diverse Audiences Increasingly Turning to Broadcast Television
Report Reinforces ION Media’s Expansion Strategy
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Sept. 11, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ION Media, the nation’s largest holder of full power UHF broadcast spectrum, commissioned Nielsen to study the growth of broadcast-only television households and their overall impact in the marketplace. The report’s data shows a steady rise in the number of broadcast-only homes over the last five years, increasing by 41% to 15.8 million households.
The study supports ION Media’s continued TV station and affiliate portfolio expansion, which will give U.S. households greater access to independent and affordable entertainment, kids, and lifestyle programming. ION Media’s upcoming acquisitions will expand its nationwide footprint to 63 stations, making ION the only network to operate TV stations in all 20 of the largest U.S. markets.
Broadcast television is also proving it isn’t just for older generations, as younger, Millennial viewers continue to discover its benefits. The report’s findings show that broadcast-only homes have a higher percentage of young viewers (median age 34.5) than total TV households (39.6). Additionally, 39% of broadcast-only homes have children in the household, compared to 34% of total TV households. Broadcast-only homes are also hard at work. According to the report, they have a greater composition of working head of householders than total TV homes, with 67% in the labor force.
The growing multicultural population has placed an emphasis on programming that caters to diverse audiences. This has become increasingly important among broadcast-only homes, as the report concluded that they represent a significantly higher composition of Hispanic, African-American and Asian households, 42%, compared to 30% of total TV households. ION Media’s network portfolio tailors its offerings to audiences by providing viewers with a diverse slate of programming options from ION Television, ION Life and Qubo.
Source: Nielsen Research commissioned by ION Media Feb. 2017, “A Closer Look at Broadcast Households,” and Nielsen 2017/18 TV Universe Estimates
About ION Media
ION Media is an independent, privately held media company launched in 2007. ION Media’s flagship, ION Television, is the most widely distributed and watched independent broadcast network in the U.S., reaching 98 million homes with a popular lineup of TV series and movies, including original shows. ION Media also nationally broadcasts two digital networks: Qubo, dedicated to children, with content that entertains, educates and celebrates learning; and ION Life, dedicated to healthy, active lifestyles. ION is the nation’s largest operator of full power TV broadcast stations by national household reach, with 60 full power stations. For more information, visit www.ionmedia.com.