The 2010-11 television season will include one million new television homes, according to estimates released by Nielsen on Friday.
The number of U.S. television households will increase to 115.9 million for the 2010-11 television season — up 1% from 2009-10 (114.9 mil), up 1% from 2008-09 (114.5 mil) and up 3% from 2007-08 (112.8 mil).
Because of the increase, any given number of homes could equal smaller TV rating this year than last. For example, the recent NFL Hall of Fame Game aired in 7.809 million homes, equaling a 6.8 rating in the old Nielsen universe of 114.9 million homes. In the new universe of 115.9 million, the 7.809 million homes would equal a 6.7 rating.
The differences are more glaring the further one goes back. For example, the 12.657 million homes for Game 1 of the ’01 76ers/Lakers NBA Finals equaled a rating of 12.4 in the 2000-01 Nielsen universe of 102.2 million homes. Today, the 12.657 million homes would equal a substantially lower 10.9 rating.
As another example, the 29.660 million homes for Game 7 of the ’91 Braves/Twins World Series equaled a rating of 32.2 during the 1991-92 TV season. Today, that would equal a still impressive — but far lower — 25.6.
Nielsen also revealed on Friday that the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale market has moved up one spot to #16 — bumping the Denver market down to #17. There were no other changes in the top 20.
