CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For the first time since network television hit airwaves decades ago, studio executives don't care about how old their viewers are.
That means you could be seeing big changes during the commercials for your favorite shows.
TV studios can't rely on any set age demographics to try and sell advertisements to, so now they're focusing on them all. Let's connect the dots.
For years, the media industry was sustained by convincing advertisers that by airing commercials on their network, they'd reach younger audiences.
Advertisers would then pay big money for programs that did well with 18-year-olds to 49-year-olds.
But now, not a lot of people in that age group are watching TV networks.
If you look at NBC, the average viewer age is around 59. ABC and CBS are similar, at 58 and 63 respectively. It's even impacted channels that have previously been associated with younger age groups -- the average MTV viewer is 51.
So now, networks are selling the idea that networks are wide-reaching and are attractive platforms for things all kinds of people use, like paper towels or cars.
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