Updated Nielsen Analysis Says Streaming Numbers Continued to Rise as Broadcast Views Fell in June
It looks like streaming is here to stay, while broadcast viewers are gradually falling off. Each month, Nielsen uses “The Gauge” to track streaming and TV numbers. July’s report, which features June’s cable, streaming, and broadcast numbers, shows that streaming continues to be on the rise.
The new report shows that more consumers are turning to streaming services instead of broadcast TV. In June, Nielsen reported streaming at 27% and broadcast at 23%.
Last month, “The Gauge” listed broadcast at 25% and streaming at 26% in May. Updated numbers for June indicate that broadcast dropped by 2%, giving one point to streaming and another to cable.
Brian Fuhrer, SVP, Product Strategy at Nielsen offered some insight into consumers’ continued shift toward streaming. June was a big month for new streaming content and a handful of titles captured the attention of many viewers. For example, Loki on Disney+ was viewed 886 million minutes June 14-20.
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”
He pointed out that one or two popular titles aren’t enough to change the percentages, but this can encourage viewers to explore the other content on the platforms, contributing to the increase in stream time. Consumers may watch Loki and then find another series or movie to watch on Disney+. The same may be true for popular series Manifest and Sweet Tooth on Netflix.
Netflix
Netflix is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 3,000+ movies, 2,000+ TV Shows, and Netflix Originals like Stranger Things, Squid Game, The Crown, Tiger King, and Bridgerton. They are constantly adding new shows and movies. Some of their Academy Award-winning exclusives include Roma, Marriage Story, Mank, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Specifically, within the streaming category, Netflix and Disney+ each grew by one point from May to June. Much of the content in the most-streamed category is on Netflix, which explains why the streamer outperformed its competitors in June.
“It’s really interesting to see the traditional drivers of sporting events and seasonality intermingle with the new dynamics of streaming strategy play out in real-time. The first version of The Gauge set a baseline, but trending it over time should give us even more important insights,” Fuhrer said.
Subscriber growth was previously slowing down as the world started going back to “normal” following the pandemic. Nielsen’s new data shows just how important it is for streaming services to offer fresh content and new features to keep consumers interested. If they are able to accomplish this, streaming is the future.