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A new era has dawned in the television landscape, with streaming services officially overtaking traditional broadcast and cable as the dominant source of TV viewing, as reported by recent Nielsen data. This shift highlights the growing importance of streaming platforms in the modern media consumption habits.
Streaming Surpasses Cable and Broadcast
In May, streaming captured an impressive 44.8% of total TV viewership. In comparison, broadcast television accounted for 20.1% and cable trailed slightly at 24.1%, combining for a total of 44.2%.
The Rise of Streaming Platforms
Brian Fuhrer, Senior Vice President at Nielsen, noted in a video accompanying Nielsen’s The Gauge monthly viewership report that while many anticipated this shift, “sporting events, news, and new season content have kept broadcast and cable TV surprisingly resilient. The trend, however, has been very consistent.”
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Key Players in the Streaming Arena
- Netflix’s Dominance: While Netflix has consistently led in overall TV usage for the past four years, YouTube has been steadily gaining ground.
- YouTube’s Ascent: YouTube, owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet, has experienced four consecutive months of increased TV share, achieving the top spot among all streamers in May with a 12.5% share.
- Top Five Streaming Platforms: The leading streaming services include YouTube, Netflix, Disney-owned platforms (ESPN, Hulu), Amazon’s Prime Video, and the Roku Channel.
The Impact of FAST Channels
The three largest free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels – Paramount’s Pluto TV, the Roku Channel, and Fox’s Tubi – collectively accounted for 5.7% of total TV viewing in May. This exceeds the individual viewership of any single broadcast network.
Future Projections for TV Viewing
Nielsen predicts that streaming’s overall share will continue to compete closely with traditional TV viewership for some time. However, it is expected to surpass it permanently in the near future, solidifying its place as the primary mode of television consumption.