Almost one-quarter of all U.S. television households (23.3%) own a high definition TV set as of Nov. 30, Nielsen reported Thursday.
Nielsen’s estimates are based on a field staff review that identified TV sets capable of receiving and displaying high definition pictures, as well as those that are actually receiving those signals.
High definition TV penetration in the U.S. has more than doubled since July 2007, when Nielsen began tracking HDTV status. At that time, only 10% of U.S. homes had access to high definition TV.
| Month/Year | % of U.S. Households With HDTV |
|---|---|
| November 2008 | 23.3% |
| October 2008 | 22.2% |
| September 2008 | 21.3% |
| August 2008 | 20.4% |
| July 2008 | 19.6% |
| June 2008 | 18.9% |
| May 2008 | 18.1% |
| April 2008 | 17.1% |
| March 2008 | 16.2% |
| February 2008 | 15.3% |
| January 2008 | 14.5% |
| December 2007 | 13.5% |
| November 2007 | 12.8% |
| October 2007 | 12.1% |
| September 2007 | 11.3% |
| August 2007 | 10.5% |
| July 2007 | 10.0% |
| Source: The Nielsen Company (July 1, 2007 – November 30, 2008). |
Washington, D.C., where 31.1% of homes are HDTV-enabled, has the highest HDTV penetration of Nielsen’s 18 largest local TV markets. Boston and New York follow, with HDTV penetrations of 30.5% and 30.2%, respectively. Detroit has the lowest HDTV penetration: 20.9% of homes.
| Top 18 Nielsen Local TV Markets | % Households In Market With HDTV (November 2008) |
|---|---|
| Washington, DC (Hagerstown) | 31.1% |
| Boston (Manchester) | 30.5% |
| New York | 30.2% |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 29.8% |
| Philadelphia | 29.1% |
| Los Angeles | 28.9% |
| Chicago | 27.0% |
| Phoenix | 26.9% |
| San Francisco-Oak-San Jose | 26.8% |
| Tampa-St. Pete (Sarasota) | 26.7% |
| Denver | 26.4% |
| Atlanta | 25.7% |
| Dallas-Ft. Worth | 25.0% |
| Houston | 23.7% |
| Cleveland – Akron | 23.6% |
| Minneapolis – St. Paul | 21.6% |
| Miami-Ft. Lauderdale | 21.4% |
| Detroit | 20.9% |
| Total U.S. | 23.3% |
| Source: The Nielsen Company (November 30, 2008). |
Sporting events have the highest index of viewing in HDTV households, with HDTV receivable and capable homes watching 54% more sports than households that are not HDTV capable. Political programming and awards shows are also popular with HDTV households.
View the full press release.
Read coverage of Nielsen’s findings on Contentinople.com and in Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News, and Media Post,
