Remember when the DVR first became a thing? We watched TV with a new sense of wonder, pausing shows whenever we’d get up for a snack, and zapping through those annoying commercials. Then came apps. With the help of Wi-Fi and just one finger tap, TV content now streams directly to our phones and tablets. That latest Fargo episode will be there for us after we get off the airplane. But, low and behold, even with these new advancements catering to our schedules, recent data reveals most of us still manage to squeeze in chunks of time to watch our favorite programs live.
According to Nielsen, live TV continues to reign supreme over “time-shifted TV,” and certain cities carry the torch for viewers who clock the most time watching content as it happens.
Baltimore leads the pack as the city with the most time, four hours and 37 minutes to be exact, of people watching live TV per day. Even Los Angeles, which is emerging as America’s next Silicon Valley ripe with tech-savvy folks, ranks high on the list with people clocking over three hours of live TV per day.
Nielsen’s TV chart includes 25 cities that couldn’t be more different regionally and by the type of individuals they attract. From Cleveland to Dallas to Miami to Seattle, the common thread that binds all of these people is the urge to gather for a special program, albeit news or entertainment, and to watch it unfold in real time.
While an increase in smartphones, smart TVs, tablets and Internet-connected devices has led to more choices and flexibility and ways to get TV content, these numbers say a lot about how viewers might be using these devices to supplement their live TV time. After all, it’s much more fun to tweet on your phone about how much you hate what that character just did, or turn to your neighbor to discuss a scene as it unfolds live. Better than delaying the start of that Games of Thrones season and reading a spoiler before you get a chance to watch it!
