Nielsen’s latest The Gauge™ survey confirms that streaming is now the most popular way to watch TV.
In July 2024, streaming accounted for a record-breaking 41.4% of total TV viewing, the largest percentage of any viewing format in history. This remarkable performance reinforces streaming as the dominant force in how people watch television content, fueled by the Summer Olympics and a slew of hit shows on several platforms.
Olympic and Streaming Power July’s Television Viewing
The Summer Olympics contributed significantly to the growth in TV consumption, with overall TV viewership climbing by 2.3% compared to June 2024. Although only three days of Olympic coverage were included in the July report, their impact was significant. Broadcast television increased its share somewhat, now accounting for 20.3% of total TV viewing. The Olympics also dominated the broadcast landscape, accounting for the top five telecasts and delivering NBC’s greatest audience of 19 million people on Sunday, July 28.
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Streaming services, especially Peacock, gained from Olympic broadcast. Peacock’s proportion of TV viewing increased by 33% in July, hitting 1.5%, its second-highest performance ever. Popular series like as Love Island USA aided the platform’s success, contributing significantly to its rapid expansion.
YouTube makes history, streaming sets new records
July was a record-breaking month for streaming in general, with each week placing among the top four most streamed weeks ever recorded by Nielsen. Notably, YouTube became the first streaming site to account for more than 10% of overall TV usage in July, at 10.4%. This achievement followed YouTube’s excellent performance in June, when it accounted for 9.9% of total television viewing.
In terms of individual series, House of the Dragon on Max led the streaming charts with 4.7 billion viewing minutes, contributing to Max’s stable 1.4% share of TV. Bluey on Disney+ followed closely with 4.3 billion viewing minutes, assisting Disney+ in achieving a platform-best 2.1% share of TV viewing.
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Despite a surge in streaming, cable and broadcast maintain their presence.
While streaming ruled the TV landscape in July, cable and conventional television remained active. Cable TV’s share remained stable compared to June, while it fell half a percentage point due to an increase in overall TV usage. Cable news viewing increased by 23%, owing to coverage of the Republican National Convention and the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
Broadcast television’s share increased slightly, thanks in large part to the Olympics, which raised the broadcast average to more than 22% of total TV consumption in the final week of July.
As streaming continues to dominate the television viewing landscape, platforms such as YouTube and Peacock are breaking records and redefining how people consume information. With the growing popularity of streaming services and significant events like the Olympics boosting viewership, the future of television is shifting toward on-demand, digital platforms.
Streaming’s 41.4% share of TV viewing in July 2024 is more than just a record. Streaming has become the most popular way to watch TV, reflecting changing media consumption tendencies.
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