Streaming grabs a record share of US TV usage
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| 16 August 2023
The latest version of the Gauge monthly analysis of audience viewing behaviours from Nielsen has seen further evidence of the two dominant trends in the industry, namely the established rise of streaming and the shrinking use of traditional broadcast.
Nielsen the gauge july 2023 16Aug2023
The data for July 2023 showed that while overall TV usage was up just slightly from June (0.2%), streaming grabbed an unprecedented total share of 38.7%. By contrast, total broadcast viewing was down 3.6% to finish the month at 20% of TV, representing a new low. On a year-over-year basis, broadcast usage was down 5.4%. Cable viewing slipped as well, losing a full share point to capture 29.6% of TV in July.

Nielsen attributed the rise to younger viewers on school breaks who it said continued to have an outsized effect on TV usage. Viewing among people under the age of 18 increased 4%, and viewing among adults 18 and older fell 0.3%. These trends resulted in increased streaming and “other” usage, primarily attributed to video game consoles, during the month.

Another key trend in streaming was acquired titles outpacing new originals. Even though an array of new original programmes arrived on streaming platforms in July - including The Witcher and The Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan on Prime Video and The Bear on Hulu - Suits, streaming on Netflix and Peacock, and Disney+’s Bluey were the most watched programs in July, accounting for 23 billion viewing minutes. Suits set new viewing records for an acquired title, amassing almost 18 billion minutes. In aggregate, the heavy viewing levels pushed Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube to all-time highs.

Sports on broadcast generated almost 25 billion viewing minutes in July, albeit across a range of channels. While the Women’s World Cup provided a boost at the end of the month, drama remained the most watched category, capturing 25.7% of viewing.

Feature film was the only cable genre to see a rise in viewership (0.5%), despite the fact that usage fell 1.5%. Viewing across virtually all others dropping from June. ESPN’s Home Run Derby and the College World Series took the top 2 slots, followed by When Calls The Heart on The Hallmark Channel. On a year-over-year basis, cable usage was down 12.5%.

Looking forward, Nielsen predicted that autumn will likely see the usual result seasonal shift in TV viewing, especially with the arrival of a new NFL season. It noted that in November 2022 sports accounted for 150 billion viewing minutes on broadcast and added that the potential for less new original primetime content presents a unique situation for broadcast and cable, but the recent success of acquired programming on streaming channels highlights the outsized strength of quality content, regardless of when it was created.