In a surprising turn of events, linear TV viewership experienced a slight recovery in August, bouncing back from its lowest point in July. According to Nielsen’s monthly state of TV report, The Gauge, combined viewing for broadcast and cable managed to capture 50.6% of total TV usage. While this may seem like a positive development, it is crucial to delve deeper into the data to understand the true implications.
Broadcast made notable strides in August, recording its first gain since January. It accounted for 20.4% of TV usage, marking a 1.4% increase compared to the previous month. Variety shows such as “America’s Got Talent” and “Big Brother” played a significant role in bolstering broadcast viewership. However, it’s worth noting that drama and news programs remained the most-watched genres on broadcast television during this period.
On the other hand, cable television experienced the largest monthly growth rate across all three categories, with a substantial 1.7% surge. This upswing can be attributed to NFL preseason events and the highly anticipated presidential debate. Nevertheless, despite this temporary boost, both broadcast and cable TV continue to face substantial annual declines. In comparison to August of the previous year, broadcast viewing plummeted by 5.5%, while cable viewing dropped by a staggering 10.6%.
Although streaming saw a marginal decline to 38.3% in August, it still remained the largest share of television for the month. Nielsen attributes this decrease to students returning to school, as a significant 80% of the decline originated from viewers aged 2-17. Among the streaming platforms, “Suits” emerged as the frontrunner, accumulating an impressive total of 11.7 billion minutes viewed across Netflix and Peacock. Close behind was Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” with 4.5 billion minutes. Disney+, on the other hand, secured the third and fourth spots with “Bluey” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.”
While Netflix holds a strong position in the streaming landscape, other platforms made remarkable strides in August. Peacock witnessed the most significant increase in usage, with an impressive 8.3% rise. This surge can be attributed to notable events such as WWE SummerSlam, shared coverage of the NFL Hall of Fame Game, and the release of “The Super Mario Brothers Movie.” Similarly, Paramount+ achieved success with “Special Ops: Lioness” and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” leading to a 4.2% boost in usage.
The data from Nielsen’s report highlights the evolving nature of television viewership. While linear TV may have experienced a momentary revival in August, it remains on a steady decline on an annual basis. Streaming platforms, despite a slight dip, continue to dominate the television landscape, capturing the majority of viewership. As viewers’ preferences and habits change, the future of television will undoubtedly be shaped by the dynamic interplay between linear TV and streaming.