Streaming services surpassed both cable and network television in total viewership among people in the U.S. for the first time in May, according to a new report from Nielsen.
Last month, streaming services accounted for 44.8% of all television viewership, their largest share to date. Nielsen found that total viewership for cable and network television accounted for 44.2% of all television viewership.
When compared to May 2021, streaming usage has increased 71%, while broadcast is down 21% and cable is down 39%.
The report also shows that YouTube took the crown for highest viewership with 12.5%. Netflix followed with 7.5% of total viewership for the month.
Nielsen notes that free streaming services has been a major driver of streaming’s overall success: PlutoTV, Roku Channel, and Tubi accounted for a combined 5.7% of total TV viewing in May.
