More American TV households are receiving video programming via an alternate delivery system (ADS) than ever before while MSOs' penetration continued to fall, according to a TVB analysis of Nielsen Media Research data for November 2007.

Fifteen DMAs are now majority-ADS markets, where more viewers are watching via satellite than over wired cable, including the first top 50 market (Albuquerque-Santa Fe, N.M.).

According to Nielsen NTI data, national ADS penetration reached 28 percent of television households in November 2007, up from 24.5 percent in November 2006, and now represents 31.6 percent of subscription television customers (those paying for video delivery). Over the same period, national wired-cable penetration of television households fell from 62.1 percent to 61.3 percent—the last time wired cable was lower was in February 1990.

Direct broadcast satellite delivery, the largest component of ADS, is now estimated at 27.6 percent of television households, up from 24 percent in November 2006.

For more information, including a look at the Top 10 ADS-penetration DMAs in large, medium, and small markets, click here.