TV Viewers Getting Older Fast, Analyst Says

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TV viewers are getting older faster than the general population, and that’s probably not good for the industry, according to a new report.

Analyst Michael Nathanson of MoffettNathanson Research calculates that the median age of viewers during the 2013-14 TV season has risen by 2.5 years, or 6% to 44.4 years old since the 2009-10 season. He says that over the past five years, TV viewers have aged 5% faster than the average American, with broadcast network viewers getting 7% older to a median of 53.9 years old, and cable network viewers getting 8% older for a media of 40. The median age of America was 37.2 years old, up 1.9 years over the past decade, according to the US Census. A more recent government report put the median age at 37.6 year old in 2014. Nathanson notes that live primetime viewing is down 13% since the 2009-10 season, but that viewership among people age 55 and up has been steady.


TV Viewers Getting Older Fast, Analyst Says