Key Points
- Streaming platforms captured 47.5 percent of TV viewing time in December, narrowing the gap with broadcast and cable.
- Traditional TV maintained an edge without YouTube, but streaming continued to gain share year over year.
- The Roku Channel hit a record 3 percent of TV time, while NFL games boosted Netflix and Prime Video.
Streaming platforms continued to chip away at broadcast and cable television’s lead in terms of time spent with TV platforms during the Christmas month of December, according to the latest monthly snapshot by Nielsen.
In its most-recent “The Gauge” report, Nielsen said streaming platforms accounted for 47.5 percent of time spent with TV during its December measurement period, up more than 4 percent on a year-over basis.
With YouTube factored out, traditional TV platforms edged out streaming, capturing 41.6 percent of time spent with TV compared with streaming’s 34.8 percent of TV time. But streaming grew its share on a 12-month basis, up from 32.2 percent logged last year with YouTube factored out, compared with broadcast and cable’s 46.2 percent share.
On an individual basis, broadcast networks accounted for 21.4 percent of time spent with TV, while cable had slightly more than 20 percent of TV time share. Nielsen said higher interest in non-sports CBS programming like “Tracker” and “60 Minutes” helped traditional TV platforms, with both shows capturing an average audience of 10 million viewers.
Cable was primarily boosted by “Monday Night Football” on ESPN, though weekly ratings data viewed by The Desk showed a downward trend as the month went on. ESPN and Fox News typically aired the highest-rated cable programming on a weekly basis.
On the streaming side, The Roku Channel achieved a milestone, with 3 percent of all time spent with TV, a record high for the free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) app. The Roku Channel is available on all Roku streaming devices and smart TVs by default, and is also offered as a free download on devices and TVs running Android TV (Google TV), Samsung’s Tizen and Amazon’s Fire TV.
Nielsen didn’t say what people were watching on The Roku Channel to help it achieve that milestone, but the company often promotes free news and entertainment offerings from the home screens of its streaming devices and smart TVs.
The measurement company was more-generous with insights on Paramount’s streaming services, which captured 2.5 percent of TV time in December. The Season 2 debut of the hit Taylor Sheridan drama “Landman” attracted more people to Paramount Plus, and claimed the number 2 spot on Nielsen’s streaming charts.
Netflix and Prime Video also saw viewership bumps in December, thanks to National Football League (NFL) games available on both platforms. Netflix offered two Christmas Day games this season, while Prime Video streamed one. Prime Video was also assisted by high interest in the new season of “Fallout,” while Netflix drew more attention with the final season of its hit show “Stranger Things.”
