OTA TV is Making a Comeback

Over-the-air (OTA) TV is now offering more and more free channels through digital antennas, making it a growing addition to the digital broadcasting market. The Local Watch report from research firm Nielsen indicates that there are over 16 million OTA households in the US, representing 14% of total households as of May 2018, nearly a 50% increase since 2010.

Just over half of OTA households pair their digital antenna TV with streaming services, while 41% solely use the channels provided by their digital antenna. Included in the 59% with streaming services are households that also subscribe to a virtual video multichannel programming distributor that allows them to stream cable TV.

Additional findings include:

• 52% of households that pair OTA with SVOD are married, while 28% of households who use only OTA are married.
• The average adult in an OTA household spends about three hours a day (1,100 hours per year) watching broadcast content on TV.
• Households without SVOD spend 4 hours and 51 minutes watching broadcast TV while those with SVOD spend 1 hour and 37 minutes watching broadcast TV.

For additional findings from Nielsen’s Local Watch report, click here.