Ownership of Television Sets Falls in US: Nielsen

Ownership of Television Sets Falls in US: Nielsen - CNBC

For the first time in 20 years, the number of homes in the United States with television sets has dropped.

Tim Flach | Stone | Getty Images The number of homes in the United States with television sets has dropped.

The Nielsen Company, which takes TV set ownership into account when it produces ratings, will tell television networks and advertisers on Tuesday that 96.7 percent of American households now own sets, down from 98.9 percent previously.

There are two reasons for the decline, according to Nielsen. One is poverty: some low-income households no longer own TV sets, most likely because they cannot afford new digital sets and antennas.