Rise of the second screen, what? For the first time in 20 years, household ownership of television sets has dropped. A new report by Nielsen is set to be released today detailing this data point.

Nielsen, a global media measurement company, pulled data from the 2010 US Census as well as its own sample of responses from 50,000 Americans. The company found that in 2010 96.7% of American households had a television, a number down from 98.9% in 2009.

The reason for this drop? The economy (now when a TV breaks, it just breaks) and technology are both cited as the main contributing factors. From the article:

“We’re now living in a world of computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones – all of which can play video. So among those who do have disposable income, some are now opting for one or more of these items over a TV set and a cable contract. This group is largely populated by younger consumers, and Nielsen’s report suggests that while these people may be shunning paid TV for content from the Internet, it’s not yet clear whether their actions are related to their own economic situation. It’s possible, says the report, that they may purchase a TV later, once they have the financial capability. Alternatively, it could signify the start of a bigger move toward viewing video online on something other than a TV.”

With Hulu, Netflix, Zune and more offering content over the Internet (and a price differential that was much less than I expected), it was an easy decision for me, for example, to purchase a nice Apple display screen instead of TV in my bedroom.

Will you buy a TV in the near future? Are technology, the rise of the second screen, and more broadcast quality content being offered over the Internet contributing to your decision?