The majority of American households switched from black and white to color television in the late 1960s. While color television technology had been available since the 1950s, it took some time for the technology to become affordable and widely adopted. By the mid-1960s, the major television networks had transitioned to broadcasting their entire prime-time lineups in color, and more than half of American households had a color television set by 1972. This shift transformed the viewing experience for Americans and allowed them to see the world in a new, more vibrant way.