NEW YORK: Nielsen’s estimate of total TV households in the U.S. for the 2009-10 broadcast season is 114.9 million, including Alaska and Hawaii. The figure represents an increase of 400,000 homes from last year, and the smallest rise in 10 years, according to Nielsen. The number of persons aged two and older in the United States will rise “slightly” to 292 million, the company said.
The top 10 designated market areas are unchanged. Among the top 20, Seattle moved from No. 14 to No. 13, and Denver from No. 18 to No. 16. Tampa, Miami and Cleveland were each down by one place. No new markets to entered the top 100, though many changed rankings. E.g., Tampa, Miami, Ft. Myers and Tallahassee were down because fewer people from within the United States moved to the Sunshine State.
New Orleans had the largest percentage increase of all DMAs as hurricane-displaced residents return. The city was up 5.2 percent from last year, and moving from No. 53 to No. 51. New York added the most homes of any market (59,710) while Waco, Texas, showed logged the largest change in ranking, falling from No. 94 to No. 89.
Nielsen’s complete 2009-10 DMA rankings are available as a .pdf file here.
-- Deborah D. McAdams
