The Nielsen Company’s latest report estimates that the total number of TV households will stand at 112.8 million in January, 2008. This represents an increase of 1.3 percent for the year.
Nielsen also estimated that during the same period the number of TV viewers over two years old increased by one percent, topping out at 286 million.
In addition, the new Nielsen numbers reflect a continuing shift in the U.S. population toward the South and West, with some Sunbelt markets moving up in the DMA ranks.
For example, Dallas rose from number 6 to number 5, Atlanta moved from number 9 to number 8, Phoenix climbed from number 13 to number 12, and Charlotte, NC, went from number 26 to number 25.
Also of note in the new Nielson numbers is a shift toward greater numbers of viewers in the higher age categories, reflecting the migration of the baby-boom generation toward older demographics. For example, in the new Nielsen numbers the number of persons aged 55-64 increased by 3.9 percent. By contrast, the number of adults under 50 increased by just 0.3 percent.
With the new estimates, each household rating point will now represent 1.13 million households, and each rating point for persons aged two years or more will represent 2.86 million people. The new breakdowns will be used in determining ad buying decisions throughout the 2007-2008 television season.
