The Nielsen Company released its second "A2/M2 Three Screen Report" that U.S. usage of TV, Internet and Mobile -- the Three Screens -- continues to increase. As of third quarter 2008, the average person in the U.S. watched approximately 142 hours of TV in one month. In addition, people who used the Internet were online 27 hours a month, and people who used a mobile phone spent 3 hours a month watching mobile video.

Furthermore, the average time a U.S. home used a TV set during the 2007-08 television season was up to 8 hours and 18 minutes per day, a record high since Nielsen started measuring television in the 1950's.

Key facts from the report include:

• Americans are spending more time than ever with their televisions, computers and mobile phones, with television remaining the dominant screen, watched more than 142 hrs a month - 5 hours more than last year.
• Americans spend more than 6 hours per month watching timeshifted TV, which is more than double the amount of time they watch video online.
• Men are more likely than women to watch video on mobile phones, while women are more likely then men to watch video on the Internet.
• During the third quarter, there was no shortage of online video content with events including the Olympics, Major League baseball games, the political conventions and debates, and the financial crisis. Online video use grew steadily through the quarter.

The TV and Internet figures are calculated using Nielsen's National TV and Internet panels which are measured electronically and reported on a regular basis. The Mobile phone figures are collected by Nielsen via a quarterly survey, and give a firsthand look at how early adopters report their usage of mobile video.

                                     Table 1
                       Monthly Time Spent in Hours:Minutes
                                   Per User 2+
                                                       % Diff   Absolute Diff
                                                      Yr to Yr    Yr to Yr
                                                      (3Q08 to    (3Q08 to
                               3Q08    2Q08    3Q07     3Q07)       3Q07)
    Watching TV in the home*  142:29  140:39  136:54    4.1 %       5:35
    Watching Timeshifted TV*    6:32    6:10    4:17   52.5 %       2:05
    Using the Internet**       27:18   26:32   25:49    5.7 %       1:29
    Watching Video on
     Internet**                 2:31    2:12     n/a    n/a          n/a
    Mobile Subscribers
     Watching Video on a
     Mobile Phone^              3:37    3:15     n/a    n/a          n/a

    Source: The Nielsen Company


                                     Table 2
                       Monthly Time Spent in Hours:Minutes
                                     3Q 2008

               K2-11  T12-17  A18-24  A25-34  A35-44  A45-54  A55-64   A65+
    On
     Tradi-
     tional
     TV*      108:34  110:59  108:36  133:00  134:51  159:23  175:18  196:23
    Watching
     Time-
     shifted
     TV*        5:25    4:55    4:36   10:04    8:15    7:19    6:32    3:44
    Using the
     Internet** 5:38   12:48   12:59   28:40   37:56   35:24   35:05   26:39
    Watching
     Video on
     Internet** 2:05    2:55    3:57    3:21    2:44    2:17    1:37    1:07
    Mobile
     Subscribers
     Watching
     Video on a
     Mobile
     Phone^   n/a^^^  4:20^^^   3:15    4:20    3:37    2:10    2:53   n/a#

    Source: The Nielsen Company


                                     Table 3
                           TV TUNING - A 10-YEAR TREND

         Broadcast Year         HOUSEHOLD TUNING        PERSONS 2+ VIEWING
          (Sept-Sept)        Average Hours: Minutes   Average Hours: Minutes
                                   Total Day                Total Day
          2007 - 2008                 8:18                     4:45
          2006 - 2007                 8:14                     4:37
          2005 - 2006                 8:14                     4:37
          2004 - 2005                 8:11                     4:32
          2003 - 2004                 8:01                     4:25
          2002 - 2003                 7.55                     4.25
          2001 - 2002                 7.42                     4.18
          2000 - 2001                 7.39                     4.15
          1999 - 2000                 7.31                     4.06
          1998 - 1999                 7.24                     4.00
          1997 - 1998                 7.15                     3.58

    Source: The Nielsen Company

FOOTNOTES FOR CHARTS ABOVE:

• TV in the Home includes Live viewing plus any playback viewing within 7 days. Timeshifted TV is playback primarily on a DVR but including playback services like Start Over as well as playback from a DVD recorder.
• Internet figures are from home and work. Hours:minutes for Internet and video use are based on the universe of persons who used the Internet/watched online video. All Internet figures are monthly averages over the course of the quarter. Online Video duration metrics are not comparable to previous measurement periods as a result of methodology change

The average monthly unique users of mobile phones and mobile video in 3Q 2008 and 2Q 2008, based on Nielsen Mobile surveys and CTIA projection of U.S. wireless subscriptions. Video user projection, time spent and composition data based on survey analysis of past 30 day use during the period. The mobile video audience figures in this report for 3Q 2008 and 2Q 2008 now include mobile phone users who access mobile video through any means (including mobile Web), and are no longer limited to subscription-based mobile video. Projection of all subscribers is based on persons 2+. Projection of mobile video viewers, and all other mobile video estimates, based on subscribers 13+.