Television is a major mass media of the United States. Household ownership of television sets in the country is 96.7%,[1] and the majority of households have more than one set. The peak ownership percentage of households with at least one television set occurred during the 1996-97 season, with 98.4% ownership.[2] As a whole, the television networks of the United States are the largest and most syndicated in the world.[3]
As of August 2013, approximately 114,200,000 American households own at least one television set.[4]
Due to a recent surge in the number and popularity of critically acclaimed television series, many critics have said that American television is currently enjoying a golden age.[5][6]