Broadcast TV: Where the Boys Aren't

TV advertisers have always coveted the male 18-to-34 demographic. But for the past several years, those viewers have been steadily abandoning broadcast TV in favor of basic cable (particularly Comedy Central and the Cartoon Network) and other types of media.

According to Nielsen, broadcast TV viewership among 18-to-34 males fell this past year by nearly 8%. By contrast, this demographic's viewing of basic cable rose by 5.3%, and comparative playing of videogames increased by a whopping 16.7%! Since broadcast TV viewership among this demographic has fallen steadily since the 2001-2002 season, it's probably safe to call this a long-term trend.

Note to Budweiser: Pump more of your ad dollars into The Daily Show, Adult Swim and Family Guy reruns. Maybe even some videogame tie-ins are in order.

Source: Long Tail