TV viewership at an all-time high

To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of television’s death have been greatly exaggerated.  The Nielsen Company reports that American television viewers have hit an all time high of 151 hours a month watching TV.

Those who watched online videos added another three hours a month and those with video-equipped mobile devices watched almost four hours of video each month that way.

The numbers were part of Nielsen’s 3-screen report and covered the last quarter of 2008.  According to the report, this is actually part of a long-term trend they’ve been seeing.  Last year’s figures for the same quarter showed viewership at 145 hours per month.

What does this mean for marketers?  It seems that, as we move into newer and newer technologies and ways to reach our target, we shouldn’t necessarily discount some of the more “traditional” vehicles.  For some targets, TV may be the medium of choice.   Also, TV may be an ideal medium for jumpstarting online buzz.

Now about that DVR….

Nielsen and others offered several thoughts as to why TV watching is increasing, below are a few.  We’d love to know what you think.  Why the uptick in viewership?

* More TVs per household
* More relevant programming due to the vast array of niche cable channels
* DVRs make TV viewing more convenient
* The economy has led to more and more people seeking cheap entertainment