Adam Birney / Android Authority
Adam Birney / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Streaming has surpassed cable as the most watched platform.
- This is the first time ever that streaming has been ranked at the top of the TV landscape platform leaderboard in the US.
- Some of the biggest streaming services shows are believed to have fueled the upset.
It’s official, we have a new champion in the TV arms race. For the first time ever in the US, streaming has overtaken cable as the most watched platform across the TV landscape.
The Hollywood Reporter has shared that Nielsen’s monthly TV ratings show that streaming accounted for 34.8% of all TV usage in the US. This puts it over one percentage point higher than the previous month.
It appears that certain flagship shows were a major contributor to this recent achievement. The Hollywood Reporter points out that Stranger Things nabbed 18 billion minutes of viewing time in July. Some other notable titles that helped fuel the uptick in streaming were The Umbrella Academy and The Boys.
The Nielsen report breaks the metrics down even further, dividing the usage by streaming service. Netflix is at the top with 8%, YouTube (including YouTube TV) had 7.3%, and third place went to Hulu with 3.6%.
As for the other TV platforms, cable managed to get close with 34.4%, broadcast received 21.6%, and the other category captured 9.2% of viewers.
Streaming has been going strong, hitting highs in five consecutive months. With more and more people discovering the benefits of cutting the cord, it’s possible this could cement its place as king of the hill going forward. If you’re looking for something to watch on your streaming service, check out our list of exciting shows coming soon.
