Wired Cable Alternatives Skyrocketing

  
 

29.3% OF AMERICAN TV HOUSEHOLDS NOW SUBSCRIBE
TO ALTERNATE DELIVERY, AN ALL-TIME HIGH

Backgrounder on ADS
ADS and cable penetration history in your DMA

National ADS and cable penetration history
PowerPoint for use with local advertisers 

NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2009 -- More American TV households are receiving video programming via an alternate delivery system (ADS) than ever before, according to a TVB analysis of Nielsen Media Research data for November 2009.

According to Nielsen NTI data, national ADS penetration reached 29.3% of television households last month, an all-time high that is up from 28.7% in November 2008, and now represents 32.5% of subscription television customers (those paying for video delivery), another all-time high.

Direct broadcast satellite (DBS) delivery, the largest component of ADS, is now estimated at 29.0%, up from 28.4% in November 2008.

“Advertisers who buy cable locally need to know that local wired cable systems’ ability to deliver commercials continues to erode. In fact, in 29 markets, a majority of those paying for video programming are now getting that programming via ADS rather than from a wired-cable system,” said Susan Cuccinello, Senior Vice President, Research, TVB. “Local cable commercials are not seen in ADS homes, and so local advertisers need to deduct the ADS percentage of the audience if they are included in the cable systems’ submissions.” In November 2003 Nielsen Media Research began making available hard-wired local cable numbers and excluding ADS homes via its Total Viewing Sources DVD. But some third-party processors are still adjusting their software products to use the DVD and the printed Nielsen books do not break out the numbers separately, so advertisers will need to make ADS deductions manually for some time.

Below are the leading markets for ADS penetration in the top 50 DMAs, DMAs ranked 51-100, and DMAs 101 and higher, according to November 2009 Nielsen Media Research/NSI data:

Top 10 in Markets 1-50
 

DMA
Name

ADS as %
TV HH


ADS as %
Subscription
TV HH*

1

Albuquerque-Santa Fe

42.7

52.0

2

Salt Lake City

39.2

47.2

3

Greenvll-Spart-Ashevll-And

42.4

46.4

4

Birmingham (Ann and Tusc)

42.2

45.9

5

Memphis

39.9

44.7

6

Dallas-Ft. Worth

37.0

44.4

7

St. Louis

38.9

44.1

8

Sacramnto-Stkton-Modesto

38.1

42.3

9

Los Angeles

35.1

40.7

10

Denver

36.5

40.4
       

* Wired cable, telco, or ADS systems such as satellite.
     

Top 10 in Markets 51-100
 

DMA
Name

ADS as %
TV HH


ADS as %
Subscription
TV HH*

1

Shreveport

57.2

62.6

2

Springfield, MO

49.5

60.8

3

Paducah-Cape Girard-Harsbg

50.7

56.3

4

Fresno-Visalia

45.0

55.9

5

Roanoke-Lynchburg

49.4

54.5

6

Little Rock-Pine Bluff

48.6

53.8

7

Jackson, MS

48.3

52.8

8

Colorado Springs-Pueblo

43.9

51.4

9

Spokane

44.2

50.8

10

South Bend-Elkhart

39.1

47.9
       

* Wired cable, telco, or ADS systems such as satellite.
       

Top 10 in Markets 100+
 

DMA
Name

ADS as %
TV HH


ADS as %
Subscription
TV HH*

1

Columbus-Tupelo-W Pnt-Hstn

53.1

60.3

2

Columbia-Jefferson City

51.4

59.9

3

Chico-Redding

51.8

59.6

4

Boise

44.3

59.4

5

Meridian

52.3

58.1

6

Tyler-Longview(Lfkn&Ncgd)

53.6

58.0

7

Missoula

47.0

57.2

8

Idaho Fals-Pocatllo(Jcksn)

45.1

56.3

9

Sherman-Ada

50.0

56.3

10

Abilene-Sweetwater

49.0

54.9
       

* Wired cable, telco, or ADS systems such as satellite.
       

Source: Nielsen Media Research/NSI, November 2009

 

 
 

Backgrounder on ADS
  ADS and cable penetration history in your DMA
 

National ADS and cable penetration history
  PowerPoint for use with local advertisers
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