Despite a whirlwind of streaming options and seismic industry shifts, television—still in 96% of American homes—remains a cultural giant, but the real story is in the startling details that reveal who is watching, how much they’re paying, and where the future of the screen is truly headed.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, U.S. television households numbered 122.4 million, representing 96% of all households.
- Average daily TV viewing time per U.S. person aged 2+ was 2 hours and 32 minutes in Q1 2024.
- Live + same-day TV viewing among U.S. adults 18-49 declined to 17.5 hours per week in 2023.
- Global TV ad revenue reached $184 billion in 2023.
- U.S. pay-TV revenue declined 8% to $93 billion in 2023.
- Netflix generated $33.7 billion in total revenue for 2023.
- Average cost of U.S. TV series episode production rose to $4.5 million in 2023.
- 599 scripted TV series aired in the U.S. in 2022, down from 631 peak.
- Global TV content production spend reached $250 billion in 2023.
- 4K TV penetration in U.S. households reached 55% in 2023.
- 65% of U.S. TVs sold in 2023 were smart TVs.
- Global OTT video streams hit 2.5 trillion in 2023.
- U.S. TV ad spend $61 billion in 2023.
- National TV ad revenue $42 billion in U.S. 2023.
- Super Bowl LVII ad slots sold for average $7 million each.
TV remains widely viewed but its audience is aging as viewing habits rapidly shift to streaming.
Advertising
1U.S. TV ad spend $61 billion in 2023.
Verified2National TV ad revenue $42 billion in U.S. 2023.
Verified3Super Bowl LVII ad slots sold for average $7 million each.
Verified430-second primetime TV ad CPM $25 in U.S. 2023.
Directional5Political TV ads spent $10 billion in 2022 U.S. midterms.
Single source6CTV ad impressions 300 billion monthly in U.S. 2023.
Verified7Local TV news ad revenue $18 billion in 2023.
Verified8Pharma ads on U.S. TV $6.5 billion in 2023.
Verified9Streaming TV ad revenue $21 billion in U.S. 2023.
Directional10Olympics 2024 TV ads generated $1.2 billion for NBC.
Single source11Retail TV ad spend $15 billion U.S. 2023 holiday season.
Verified12Addressable TV ad households 50 million in U.S. 2023.
Verified13Auto ads 12% of U.S. TV ad volume in 2023.
Verified14Programmatic TV ad buys 40% of total in 2023.
Directional15Late-night TV ad revenue down 20% to $500 million 2023.
Single source16Hispanic-targeted TV ads $3 billion in U.S. 2023.
Verified17Sports TV ads CPM $50+ during NFL games 2023.
Verified18Candy ad restrictions impacted $100 million TV spend 2023.
Verified19U.S. TV ad market share linear vs CTV 55/45 in 2023.
Directional20Beer ads on TV $1.8 billion in U.S. 2023.
Single source21News TV ad revenue per viewer $10/hour U.S. 2023.
VerifiedAdvertising Interpretation
With advertisers collectively spending over $61 billion to interrupt America's viewing, these numbers prove television remains the nation's most expensive and persuasive group chat.
Production
1Average cost of U.S. TV series episode production rose to $4.5 million in 2023.
Verified2599 scripted TV series aired in the U.S. in 2022, down from 631 peak.
Verified3Global TV content production spend reached $250 billion in 2023.
Verified4Average primetime drama episode budget $3-5 million in 2023.
Directional5342 new TV series launched in U.S. in 2023.
Single source6UK TV production volume hit 45,000 hours in 2022.
Verified7Netflix produced 1,086 hours of original content in 2023.
Verified8U.S. reality TV production grew 5% to 400 series in 2023.
Verified9Average late-night show episode cost $1.2 million in 2023.
Directional1025% of U.S. TV content now produced outside LA in 2023.
Single source11Disney+ originals production budget $15 billion annually in 2023.
Verified12Global animation TV production value $30 billion in 2023.
Verified13U.S. unscripted TV hours produced 18,000 in 2022.
Verified14HBO Max series average budget $10 million per episode in 2023.
Directional15Canadian TV production incentives claimed $1 billion in 2023.
Single source16Peak scripted series supply 600+ in U.S. 2021-22.
Verified17BBC content spend £2.2 billion on TV in 2022-23.
Verified18U.S. TV pilot production costs averaged $5 million each in 2023.
Verified1970% of U.S. TV dramas shot on digital 4K in 2023.
Directional20Australian TV content production $2.5 billion in 2023.
Single sourceProduction Interpretation
While Hollywood's wallet is hemorrhaging blockbuster budgets for every scripted episode, the global content factory is pumping out a dizzying flood of hours, proving that in television, quantity and astronomical quality are having a wildly expensive race.
Revenue
1Global TV ad revenue reached $184 billion in 2023.
Verified2U.S. pay-TV revenue declined 8% to $93 billion in 2023.
Verified3Netflix generated $33.7 billion in total revenue for 2023.
Verified4Disney's linear TV networks revenue fell 11% to $10.6 billion in FY2023.
Directional5U.S. broadcast TV station revenue hit $24.5 billion in 2022.
Single source6Warner Bros. Discovery TV revenue was $25.3 billion in 2023.
Verified7Global SVOD revenue grew 13% to $50 billion in 2023.
Verified8Paramount Global revenue from TV media was $20.4 billion in 2023.
Verified9U.S. cable network revenue dropped 7% to $80 billion in 2023.
Directional10BBC TV licence fee revenue was £3.7 billion in 2022-23.
Single source11Hulu subscription revenue reached $11.4 billion in FY2023.
Verified12U.S. local TV digital revenue grew 12% to $2.8 billion in 2023.
Verified13Amazon Prime Video contributed $17 billion to AWS-adjacent revenue in 2023.
Verified14Fox Corporation TV revenue was $10.4 billion for FY2023.
Directional15European public broadcaster TV revenue totaled €25 billion in 2022.
Single source16U.S. TV production spending hit $200 billion in 2023.
Verified17Comcast NBCUniversal cable revenue $32 billion in 2023.
Verified18Global FAST channel revenue projected at $7 billion by 2027.
Verified19Sinclair Broadcast Group revenue $3.1 billion in 2023.
Directional20U.S. retransmission consent fees generated $4.5 billion in 2023.
Single sourceRevenue Interpretation
While traditional television is still a massive cash cow, it's nervously watching its streaming offspring gulp down the growth as the family's wealth shifts dramatically from the living room to the cloud.
Technology
14K TV penetration in U.S. households reached 55% in 2023.
Verified265% of U.S. TVs sold in 2023 were smart TVs.
Verified3Global OTT video streams hit 2.5 trillion in 2023.
Verified4Average U.S. smart TV app usage 1.5 hours daily in 2023.
Directional5ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV deployed in 50+ U.S. markets by 2024.
Single source68K TV sales grew 200% YoY to 1 million units globally in 2023.
Verified7U.S. households with streaming devices 85% in 2023.
Verified8HDR TV adoption 70% of new sales in U.S. 2023.
Verified9Global TV screen size average grew to 55 inches in 2023.
Directional10Roku devices in 81 million U.S. households by 2023.
Single source1140% of U.S. TV viewing via IP multicast in 2024.
Verified12OLED TV market share 12% globally in 2023.
Verified13U.S. cord-cutting rate 6.9 million households in 2023.
Verified14QLED TV shipments 50 million units worldwide 2023.
Directional155G-enabled smart TVs launched by 10 brands in 2023.
Single source16Voice assistant integration in 75% U.S. smart TVs 2023.
Verified17Global TV panel shipments 240 million units in 2023.
Verified18MicroLED prototypes in 50-inch sizes demoed at CES 2024.
Verified19U.S. FAST services reached 120 million monthly users 2023.
Directional20Mini-LED TV market grew 150% to $5 billion in 2023.
Single sourceTechnology Interpretation
The future of television is a crystal-clear, voice-controlled, data-hungry giant screen that has effectively become the internet's favorite billboard, and if you're still watching regular old TV, it politely thinks you're a museum piece.
Viewership
1In 2023, U.S. television households numbered 122.4 million, representing 96% of all households.
Verified2Average daily TV viewing time per U.S. person aged 2+ was 2 hours and 32 minutes in Q1 2024.
Verified3Live + same-day TV viewing among U.S. adults 18-49 declined to 17.5 hours per week in 2023.
Verified465% of U.S. TV viewing in 2023 occurred on connected TV devices.
Directional5Women aged 18-49 in the U.S. watched an average of 2.9 hours of TV daily in 2022.
Single source6During the 2023 NFL season, average viewership per game was 17.9 million viewers.
Verified7U.S. adults 65+ spent 4 hours 12 minutes daily on TV in 2023.
Verified842% of Gen Z (18-24) in the UK reported watching linear TV weekly in 2023.
Verified9Peak TV viewing day in the U.S. during 2023 Super Bowl was 115 million viewers.
Directional10Hispanic U.S. viewers watched 3 hours 45 minutes of TV daily in 2022.
Single source11Cable TV penetration in U.S. households fell to 52.6% in 2023.
Verified12Average U.S. household subscribed to 2.3 pay-TV services in Q1 2024.
Verified1318-34 year-olds in the U.S. averaged 1 hour 45 minutes of TV daily in 2023.
Verified14Broadcast TV accounted for 19% of total U.S. TV usage in May 2024.
Directional1571 million U.S. viewers tuned into the 2024 Oscars live broadcast.
Single source16Daily TV time for U.S. kids 2-11 dropped to 2 hours 18 minutes in 2023.
Verified1755% of U.S. TV viewing time in 2023 was by adults 50+.
Verified18Live sports viewing grew 10% YoY to 52 minutes daily per U.S. adult in 2023.
Verified19European linear TV viewership share fell to 68% in 2023.
Directional20U.S. Black/African American viewers averaged 4 hours 5 minutes TV daily in 2022.
Single source21Netflix original content viewing reached 1.8 billion hours in Q4 2023.
Verified22Prime time TV ratings for ABC averaged 3.2 million viewers in 2023-24 season.
Verified2328% of U.S. adults cut the cord completely by end of 2023.
Verified24Australian free-to-air TV reached 10.2 million viewers daily average in 2023.
Directional25U.S. TV viewing via antenna-only households rose 15% to 19 million in 2023.
Single source26Women over 55 in U.S. watched 5 hours+ TV daily on average in 2023.
Verified272023 World Cup final on TV drew 1.5 billion cumulative global viewers.
Verified28U.S. Asian viewers TV time averaged 3 hours 20 minutes daily in 2022.
Verified29Total U.S. TV consumption hit 4 trillion hours in 2023.
DirectionalViewership Interpretation
Television stubbornly refuses to die, expertly fragmenting into a thousand niche streams while still managing to unite us all, if only for a few hours of football or the rare watercooler event.
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