Antennas Are More Popular Than Cable TV, Internet TV, and Satellite Combined

According to a Deloitte Insights report, antenna usage is on the rise and set to become the dominant means of watching TV in 2020. In fact, the analysts at Deloitte estimate that 1.6 billion people worldwide, including 450 million households, will watch at least some TV with an antenna.

“Our estimate of 1.6 billion antenna TV viewers in 2020 is based on verified data from 83 countries with a combined population of 6.6 billion people,” the report states.

The report, titled Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Predictions 2020, goes on to say that advertising is paying for the content that viewers are watching for free with antennas. Deloitte estimated that global TV ad revenue will increase by over $4billion, reaching $185 billion by the end of 2020, compared to $181 billion in 2019.

Along with sharing the predicted number of antenna TV viewers worldwide, the study also shows the top 12 countries expected to have the most antenna TV viewers in 2020.

• Indonesia
• India
• Nigeria
• Japan
• Philippines
• Mexico
• Brazil
• Pakistan
• Vietnam
• Italy
• Egypt
• United States

While antenna usage is up, TV viewing overall is on the decline, according to the study. In the US, it’s expected that minutes spent viewing TV will decrease by 5%, with younger audiences showing the greatest decline. Other countries seeing a downward trend in TV viewing include Brazil, Mexico, Hong Kong, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Israel, Venezuela, and Ireland.

With viewing numbers declining, antenna usage is the saving grace of traditional TV when it comes to ad revenue. Antenna TV is growing, with more than 16 million households using an antenna. That’s a 48% increase since 2010. Even with the shift to digital viewing, many households are keeping or adding an antenna for free, local channels. The numbers are enough to keep advertisers splitting their budgets between traditional TV and digital services.

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