Today, Boston consumers have a gargantuan number of viewing choices. This includes programs from stations like WCVB, WHDH, WBZ, WGBH, and WFXT. Or maybe cable and satellite systems like Xfinity, DISH, DirecTV, and RCN. There's also content delivered over the internet from Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Disney+, and Amazon Prime.
No longer are Boston consumers tied to the 21-inch Zenith in their living rooms. Instead, TV can be watched on giant LCDs, smartphones, and tablets from any room in the house, in the backseat of their cars, or practically anywhere else.
The best way to think about TV watching in Boston is in terms of three buckets:
Here's how many Boston adult viewers fall into each bucket. Remember, viewers are not limited to a single bucket.
For local business owners who advertise on Boston television, it is not only essential to know how many consumers inhabit a bucket; it's also essential to know how much time a viewer spends in each bucket. This information is critical for creating effective advertising campaigns.
As of September of 2021, according to Nielsen, 38% of all viewing time is spent in the cable bucket. Internet streaming accounts for 28% of viewing time. Finally, over-the-air viewing only accounts for 26% of time spent watching TV.