Streaming services might not be cash windfalls for the companies behind them just yet, but more and more consumers are tuning into them.
New data from Nielsen’s The Gauge, the ratings service’s monthly snapshot of broadcast, cable and streaming consumption, shows streaming usage hit an all-time high in June. Streaming accounted for 37.7% of overall TV usage in the U.S. last month, beating cable (30.6%) and broadcast TV (20.8%). And among the many streaming services, there were some clear winners.
Google’s YouTube had the biggest percentage of viewers, dominating 8.8% of the overall viewing audience. Netflix was a close second at 8.2%. The drop off from there is substantial. Hulu had a 3.5% share, Amazon Prime Video came in at 3.2%, Disney+ was at 3% and Max had a 1.4% share.
The YouTube and Netflix numbers were all-time highs for each service. And the action-drama series S.W.A.T., which streams on Hulu, Netflix and Paramount+, was the most-watched streaming program in June, with nearly 5 billion minutes viewed across the three platforms.
The news isn’t so good for broadcast TV. Viewership fell 6.6% in June to its smallest share of the overall TV market to date. And on a year-over-year basis, broadcast viewing was down 5.6% and cable viewing was down 11.6%.
Trends like that could be why Disney CEO Bob Iger is considering a sale of ABC and the company’s other traditional television holdings. In an interview with CNBC last week, he noted “they may not be core to Disney.”
Free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels continued to gain ground as consumers look for ways to save money. Tubi TV usage increased 12.1% last month, bringing its share of the television market to 1.4%. Roku TV and Pluto TV also had notable market share.
Of course, Hollywood is in the grips of the first double strike since 1960. Both actors and writers are picketing because streaming's lack of profits are hurting studios' bottom line. On the other hand, the erasure of residuals from streaming replays and uncertainty over potential use of A.I. has the content producers concerned about their livelihood—and futures. In the meantime, the average American is just streaming more and more, and they can't get enough S.W.A.T.
