In July 2023, traditional broadcast and cable TV in the United States marked a historic low, dipping below the 50% threshold for total TV consumption among American audiences, per the latest insights from Nielsen, a prominent data analytics company.
In stark contrast, streaming platforms, exemplified by the likes of YouTube and Netflix, carved out an unprecedented 38.7% slice of the overall U.S. TV viewership pie. This remarkable surge in streaming usage was documented in Nielsen’s monthly publication, The Gauge, which encapsulated these shifting trends. The broader television landscape witnessed a slight uptick of 0.2% in total viewership for the month, with a notable 4% rise among viewers aged 18 and under.
During July, cable television’s dominance slid below the 30% mark for the first time, undergoing a decline of a whole percentage point to settle at 29.6%. Broadcast TV experienced a more pronounced setback, dropping by 3.6%, equivalent to a decrement of 0.8 points. When assessing the changes from a year-over-year perspective, broadcast viewing was down by 5.4% (equivalent to a reduction of 1.5 points), while cable viewing registered a significant 12.5% decline (a drop of 4.8 points).
Three platforms achieved remarkable record highs in July within the realm of streaming services. YouTube, excluding YouTube TV, surged by 5.6% compared to June, cementing its foothold at an impressive 9.2% of the total TV consumption, a record high among all platforms. Netflix also witnessed a 4.2% upswing from June, securing 8.5% of the overall TV viewership. Amazon Prime Video exhibited a 5% growth compared to June, representing 3.4% of total TV consumption and gaining 0.2 percentage points in July.
Nielsen’s monthly TV usage estimates incorporate an “other” category, accounting for unmeasured video on demand (VOD), audio streaming, gaming, and Blu-ray/DVD playback.
July’s two most-streamed titles comprised licensed shows: “Suits,” the legal drama featuring Patrick J. Adams, Gabriel Macht, and Meghan Markle, accessible on Netflix and Peacock, and the beloved Australian children’s animated series “Bluey,” available on Disney+. These two shows collectively amassed a staggering 23 billion viewing minutes, with “Suits” accounting for an impressive 18 billion minutes. In context, in July 2022, the fourth season of the Netflix original “Stranger Things” accumulated nearly 18 billion viewing minutes shortly after its release.
As for traditional broadcast TV, dramas retained their top spot in July, commanding a 25.7% share of the category. Leading the pack in terms of broadcast programs were “ABC World News Tonight” and the MLB All-Star Game broadcast on Fox. On the cable front, ESPN’s Home Run Derby and College World Series took the top two spots, closely followed by the Hallmark Channel’s “When Calls the Heart.”
Nielsen’s estimates amalgamate consumer television usage in the U.S., encompassing traditional TV sets (including internet-connected TVs). The data is synthesized from two distinctively weighted panels. Streaming metrics are culled from a subset of households in the Nielsen National TV panel equipped with Streaming Meters. In contrast, linear TV sources and total viewership figures are drawn from Nielsen’s comprehensive TV panel.
