Americans are throwing out their TVs—and we might know why

According to the most recent data collected by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average number of TVs per household dropped to 2.3 in 2015—down from 2.6 in 2009.

While it might not seem like much of a decline, the TV industry previously saw an increase in the average amount of TVs per household for years until the 2009 downtick.

Although it's difficult to pin the blame on any single factor, it's reasonable to assume that the advent of streaming platforms made dent in the case for TV sets as the household's primary media center. After all, why bother saving up for a new TV if you can catch up on a laptop, tablet, or smartphone, especially since those devices offer more degrees of functionality?

Additionally, with on-demand platforms like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu offering some of the most popular programming around, the days of needing a TV set to tune in to your favorite shows already feel like ancient history.

Now, all eyes are on cable companies, who need to adapt to a new generation of cord-cutters who aren't exactly huddling around televisions for daily viewings. We've already seen built-in smart platforms become standardized in a short amount of time to accommodate the change in American viewing habits, but can the trusty TV set survive another decade of sagging TV sales?

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