Nearly 27% of U.S. Homes are Wireless Only
Posted by Jesse Ward on Monday, April 25, 2011 · 
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As of the first half of 2010, more than one-in-four U.S. homes (26.6%) were wireless-only, an eight-fold increase in six years, according to a new report from the CDC.
The CDC notes that the prevalence of such wireless-only households now markedly exceeds the prevalence of households with only landline telephones (12.9%), and this difference is expected to grow.
Other important findings:
- 44% of respondents between the age of 18-and-30 are wireless only
- 47% of renters are wireless-only
Although national trends can be drawn, the prevalence of wireless-only households varies substantially across state lines. Read more
VOTW: Confessions of Video Cord-Cutters
Posted by Jesse Ward on Wednesday, January 26, 2011 · ·
And last but not least, our video of the week (VOTW). A lot has been made of so called video cord-cutters. Nielsen went so far as to call it a ‘myth.‘ But in late 2010, big cable came face-to-face with the cold, hard truth: more than 500,000 subscribers had dropped their subscriptions that quarter.
In this video cord-cutters share their reasons, experiences, new media consumption patterns and what they miss about pay-TV.
What do you think? Is this a niche experience or do these individuals foreshadow a future mainstream trend? Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.
Sezmi Altering its Cable Alternative Package
Posted by Steve Fravel on Monday, December 20, 2010 · ·
Letters to Sezmi subscribers were sent out last week detailing changes in the content packages. Sezmi will discontinue the $19.95 Sezmi Select Plus package of 23 channels currently offered only in the Los Angeles area.
Sezmi will instead concentrate on Sezmi Select, a $4.95 package of local channels with an online component that allows access to video on demand (VoD) movies and online TV shows. Sezmi currently provides service in 36 markets delivering its line-up via digital spectrum leased from local TV stations.
Subscribers must purchase a Sezmi set-top-box equipped with a 1TB DVR and an antenna. The $149 box is avalable at Best Buy in the Sezmi-served locations. Sezmi is said to be offering six months free Sezmi Select to orphaned Sezmi Plus customers along with $150 credit for VoD content.
Big Cable Operators See 500,000+ Cord Cutters
Posted by Jesse Ward on Monday, November 8, 2010 · ·
Subscribers are cutting the pay-TV cord in record numbers. Adding up cable TV losses from four of the five biggest cable operators brings the quarterly cord cutter total to more than half a million subscribers.
The carnage began last week when Comcast announced that it had lost 275,000 basic cable subscribers. No. 2 cable provider Time Warner Cable followed suit, announcing that it has lost 155,000 cable subscribers during the third quarter, which included 46,000 digital video subs. Charter Communications reported that it lost 63,800 basic cable subscribers during the previous quarter, and Cablevision announced that it lost 24,500 subscribers during the same period, including about 5,000 digital video subscribers. Read more
90% of Network TV Shows Available for Free Online
Posted by Jesse Ward on Thursday, July 15, 2010 · ·
Approximately 90% of network TV episodes are available online, but taken down after six weeks or less, this according an exhaustive study performed by online video search site Clicker.
Clicker’s study includes shows that came online at any point during the fall or spring seasons from ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and The CW. Clicker narrowed its focus to free streaming only—the study does not include paid downloads or video on demand (VoD) streaming from Netflix, Amazon or iTunes. Clicker determined that a surprisingly high percentage of episodes on broadcast TV were made available on ad-supported video websites. Read more
Nielsen: Pay-TV Cord-Cutting is a ‘Myth’
Posted by Jesse Ward on Thursday, June 17, 2010 · ·
There’s a growing belief that TV “cord cutting” – when consumers replace their pay-TV subscription in favor of online video services from providers like Netflix and Hulu – is gaining traction. In a (somewhat) surprising announcement, Nielsen says its new research “busts the myth” that mainstream consumers are turning to online solutions and abandoning cable subscriptions.
In fact, according to Nielsen, many consumers don’t see broadband as a replacement, but rather a complement to their existing pay-TV services. Nearly two-thirds of all U.S. households subscribed to both pay-TV and broadband as of January 2010, up from 61.6% in 2009 and 54.8% in 2008. Read more
25% Of U.S. Homes Are Wireless Only
Posted by Jesse Ward on Monday, May 17, 2010 · ·
Nearly 25% of all U.S. households have at least one mobile phone and no landline service, a 1.8% increase since the first half of 2009, this according to a new study by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). In addition, one of every seven American homes (14.9%) has a landline but still receives the majority of calls on wireless telephones.
Landline cord-cutting has been increasing for several years. In 2003, the CDC reported that fewer than 5% of homes had ditched landlines for mobile phones, while in May 2009 that number had climbed to just over 20%.