There are now over 120 million television homes in the United States. The proportion of homes receiving traditional television has apparently risen slightly. The annual National Television Household Universe Estimates from Nielsen show a 0.6% increase in the number of people over two years old in television households in the United States. That is 307.3 million people in 120.6 million television homes.
The percentage of total homes in the United States with televisions receiving traditional television signals over-the-air or via a cable, satellite, telco or a broadband internet connection to a television set is currently at 96.1%. That is an increase of 0.2 percentage points from the 95.9% estimated for 2019.
Nielsen uses data from the United States Census Bureau, combined with information from its national television panel, to arrive at Advance TV Universe Estimates in early May. It then distributes final Universe Estimates before the start of each TV season.
The 2020 National Universe Estimates reflect changes in population and updated television penetration levels, calculated by market and age and sex demographic categories.
The television penetration for households in the United States was estimated based on data collected during the recruitment of homes for the Nielsen people meter panel. The definition of a television household is a home that has at least one operable television or monitor with the ability to deliver video via traditional means of antennae, cable set-top-box or satellite receiver or a broadband connection.
As of May 2019, Nielsen reports that 65% of households in the United States had a smart television or an enabled internet-connected device capable of delivering programming to the television set, and 70% of homes in the United States had a subscription video-on demand service.
In May 2019, 134.2 million adults, or 56%, viewed at least one minute of online video on their television set.
According to the informitv Multiscreen Index, the top 10 television services in the United States that report numbers had 80.42 million subscribers between them at the end of the first half of 2019. These 10 services, including the Sling TV and DIRECTV NOW online offering, account for 66% or two thirds of all television homes. That is around the same proportion that had a network-connected television.