How Much TV Do Americans Watch?

The question of how much television Americans watch is readily answered by the TV ratings service A.C. Nielsen. According to research conducted by Nielsen, the average citizen of the United States watches more than four hours of programming per day. This translates into two full months of watching television each year. Assuming that a person lives to the age of 65 years, he or she would have watched a cumulative nine years of TV programming. Although there is no doubt that television is a staple of daily life, 49 percent of Americans indicate that they watch more television than they should.

More facts about Americans and watching TV:

• About 99 percent of all households in the U.S. have at least one TV set. The average household has at least two sets. More than 65 percent of American homes have at least three sets. The master bedroom is one of the most popular locations for a television, after the living room or den.


• A majority of U.S. citizens like to sit in front of the TV with a good meal. Research indicates that more than 65 percent of Americans routinely eat dinner while watching television, with some also saying that they partake of breakfast and lunch with a television nearby.


• More than 55 percent of U.S. citizens subscribe to a cable television service. The others receive satellite TV signals or get by with over-the-air television programming picked up with an antenna.