Only 7% of US homes rely on over-the-air TV

Just 7% of US TV households rely solely on an antenna for their television programming, according to a new report by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). 

The study found that 83% of TV households receive their programming through traditional pay-TV services – cable, satellite or fiber to the home. However, this marks a drop of five percentage points since 2010.

The CEA said that the use of non-TV consumer electronics devices, such as laptops, desktops, tablets and smartphones, in the home to consume content is “likely affecting pay-TV subscriptions.”

The report said 28% of US TV households now receive programming on their TVs via the web, with 4% using the internet exclusively as their source of television programming for their TVs.

“The vast majority of Americans no longer rely on over-the-air TV signals. Consumers have moved away in droves from traditional broadcast television thanks to a surge in programming alternatives available through wired and wireless broadband connections,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA.

“This is why Congress had it right when they authorised the FCC to hold voluntary broadcast spectrum incentive auctions to reallocate broadcast television spectrum to greater uses, like wireless broadband.”