YouTube Is Top-Rated Streaming Platform for 12th-Straight Month; Peacock’s Exclusive NFL Playoff Game Scores Big
January also saw nine of the top 10 days with the highest streaming volume ever recorded by Nielsen, bolstered by the NFL playoffs.
The coldest months of the year are always good for TV ratings. Folks are stuck inside with nothing to do but watch or stream, and the winter of 2023-24 has been no exception. That rising tide has lifted all boats; total TV viewership rose 3.7% in January, which includes a 1.4% year-over-year increase from January 2023. Streaming was the most-watched segment of TV during the month, but it wasn’t subscription video services like Netflix or Disney+ that led the way; instead, it was the social media video hosting site YouTube that maintained its crown as the top streaming platform for the 12th month in a row.
- Cable’s share of viewership fell during the month of January, while shares for broadcast and streaming both rose.
- January 2024 featured nine of the top 10 streaming-usage days since Nielsen began measuring streaming ratings.
- The month saw the return of new scripted TV shows to both broadcast TV channels and streaming services.
YouTube accounted for 8.6% of total TV viewing during January, according to Nielsen. Much of this viewership is likely led by younger audiences, who prefer watching social media videos and other content formats over traditional TV, according to surveys.
“YouTube has long been the go-to destination for entertaining and educational content,” Nielsen said. “Our YouTube creators are producing the type of content consumers not only expect - but want - to watch.”
Netflix was next with a 7.9% share of viewing time, followed by a large chasm down to Prime Video at 2.8% and Hulu at 2.7%. Altogether, streaming accounted for 36% of all TV viewed during the month, the highest percentage of any segment and an increase of 0.1% over December.
The Peacock-exclusive NFL Wild Card game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins on Jan. 13 played a large part in the success of streaming during the first month of 2024. The game allowed Peacock to jump to 1.6% of TV viewing time in January. In total, audiences streamed a record 40.8 billion minutes of content on Jan. 13, and the game generated 3.9 billion minutes of viewing by itself. Altogether, nine of the top 10 days with the highest streaming volume ever recorded occurred during January, and the other day on the list is New Year’s Eve 2023.
Did Other Factors Cause an Increase in Streaming, Broadcast Ratings?
The rise in streaming and broadcast ratings in January can certainly be attributed to NFL and college football in part; Peacock and Paramount+ both offered multiple NFL playoff games, which also aired on CBS and NBC. Fox also carried the NFL playoffs during the month, which drove broadcast TV’s share of viewing time up by 0.7% over December.
The return of scripted TV also helped streaming and broadcast sources jump in viewing time during January. New episodes of scripted shows are just beginning to trickle out from major studios following 2023’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. “Fool Me Once” on Netflix was the most-watched program of the month with 6.5 billion minutes streamed, and became the first original series to rank No. 1 in the ratings since May of 2023, when the strikes began.
Broadcast TV is down 20% as compared to January of 2023, and the dearth of new scripted shows is a big reason why. But it also points to hope for February and March; streaming and broadcast sources will see more and more scripted TV shows return for abbreviated seasons during these months, which could counteract the slump that total TV viewing normally experiences every year once the Super Bowl is over.
YouTube has continued its dominance over other streaming services, but it’s clear that viewers have been increasing their streaming viewing time in general as they wait for their favorite scripted programming on linear channels to return. The NFL’s effect on streaming audiences has also been clearly demonstrated, though that league is focused on keeping its games available via linear channels.
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” and “The Office,” as well as original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports including NFL, MLB, WWE, Olympics, Premier League, NASCAR, French Open, College Football and Basketball, and PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.