The summer of streaming: Kids and ‘Bridgerton’ help June set a viewership record

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As a seasoned movie critic with a deep understanding of the television landscape and its evolution over the past few decades, I find it fascinating to observe the seismic shift in viewing habits from traditional TV to streaming platforms. With three kids at home, I’ve witnessed firsthand how these technological advancements have transformed our family’s entertainment consumption.

School’s out and streaming is in.

In June, streaming services made up an unprecedented 40.3% of all TV viewership based on Nielsen’s records. This is the highest proportion ever recorded for Netflix, YouTube, and similar platforms since Nielsen started publishing these percentage statistics in June 2021.

Streaming viewership rose 6% from May levels, Nielsen said this week.

Parents won’t be shocked to learn that the primary cause for the rise is due to the fact that, with the US school year concluding in June, kids and teens have additional hours to devote to their preferred television programs.

As a movie buff, I’ve noticed a significant surge in young viewers between the ages of 2 and 11. In fact, there has been an impressive increase of 16% in this age group when it comes to TV viewing, which is a clear indication of the changing television habits among different generations.

“For Bill Hague, executive vice president at Magid, a media consulting company, streaming services shape the TV experience,” is one way to paraphrase this statement in a more natural and easy-to-read manner.

Nielsen reported significant month-to-month growth for Disney+ (an increase of 14.8%), Tubi (14.7%), Netflix (11.8%), and Max (11.0%). A large portion of this growth can be attributed to younger viewers.

During the July 7-13 period, Netflix observed a persistent trend as six out of the top ten films in the U.S. were geared towards kids and families. Among them was “Paw Patrol: The Movie” which took the third spot on the list. “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” featuring the comeback of Eddie Murphy, claimed the second position.

Based on Nielsen’s data, Netflix held the largest share of TV viewership in June among all paid subscription services, amounting to 8.4%. Amazon Prime Video came in second with a 3.1% share, while Hulu and Disney+ claimed a 3% and 2% share, respectively. Paramount+ and Max had 1.1% and 1.4% of the viewership market share, respectively.

Streaming accounts for the largest market share at 40.3%, surpassing cable which held 40.1% in June 2021. The shift towards cord-cutting and avoiding pay TV subscriptions led to a significant decrease in cable’s viewership, accounting for only 27.2% of TV usage in June 2023 – a 7% decline from the same month in the previous year. Meanwhile, broadcast maintained a relatively stable presence with a 20.5% share of total viewing, similar to the previous year.

Streaming was also boosted by the return of popular original series.

The popular Netflix series “Bridgerton” racked up a staggering 9.3 billion viewing minutes, making it the most-watched show during that period. Amazon Prime Video’s new season of “The Boys” clocked in at 4 billion minutes, while HBO’s “House of the Dragon” on Max accumulated 3.4 billion minutes.

During June, cable channels start debuting fresh programs, imitating a past tactic used by cable to gradually draw viewers away from the audience shares of broadcast networks. In summers past, cable would premiere original series when the major scripted hits of broadcast TV were in repeats or off the air entirely.

During the summer months, there’s a noticeable decrease in viewership for broadcast networks as many scripted shows conclude their seasons. However, live sports events kept traditional TV relevant in June. The NBA Finals and Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, which were both televised on ABC, attracted large audiences. Additionally, the U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials aired on NBC, further boosting viewership.

Consumers remain drawn to free streaming videos, with YouTube and Tubi from Fox Corp. experiencing record growth. YouTube claimed a 9.9% share, while Tubi managed a 2% slice of the total viewership.

Many people are shifting from conventional TV to streaming services like YouTube, which boasts the largest user base. Noteworthy, a significant portion of the content streamed on YouTube hails from linear networks and local broadcasting stations.

Approximately two years ago, we advised our television clients that they should adopt YouTube as part of their media strategy. In other words, they should focus their efforts on the platforms where their audience is most active.

In June, according to Nielsen’s data, the viewership share for Paramount Global’s Pluto streaming service remained relatively unchanged at around 0.8%.

The reliance of the platform on real-time, linear channels similar to traditional TV could be an influential factor. While Tubi provides these channels, the majority of its users on the platform opt for on-demand video viewing instead.

In their report on Nielsen’s data, LightShed Partners described Tubi as being similar to a free version of Netflix in feel, while Pluto is structured like traditional TV with channels. Pluto’s layout seems outdated and less personalized compared to the algorithm-driven content feeds that consumers are growing used to.

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2024-07-18 21:34