Peacock, for the first time, grabs 1% of total streaming viewership
Despite the surge in television usage during the Thanksgiving holiday, total TV viewing managed to increase slightly in December (0.3%), amplified by two of the top 10 viewing days of the year. Total TV usage aside, engagement with content options continues to fragment as audiences gravitate to new titles and services.
The competition for viewers in December led to losses of viewing share across broadcast, cable and streaming. The “other” category benefited, gaining 2 share points, driven in part by video game usage during holiday vacations and the gift-giving season. Within the streaming category, Peacock became the latest service to achieve a 1% share of TV usage, crossing the threshold to be broken out from the “other streaming” category.
Like we saw in November, December included five days that boasted more than 100 billion viewing minutes (including Christmas Day and Dec. 18). Streaming continued its reign as the top category, capturing 38.1% of total TV usage, down just 0.1% from November. Despite the slight loss of total TV usage share, time spent streaming actually increased 0.2% from November. Among the streaming services, HBO Max gained the most usage (18.1%), fueled by the second season of The White Lotus and the popularity of Friends and The Big Bang Theory. On a year-over-year basis, streaming usage in December was up 46.1%, resulting in a gain of 10.4 share points from a total TV usage perspective.
Broadcast and cable viewing declined (3.7% and 2.4%, respectively), reflecting less-robust offerings than were available in November and a post-election drop-off, which was most evident across cable. Even with the strength of World Cup viewing, sports viewing on broadcast slipped 12.3%, while drama viewing dropped 20%. Comparatively, feature film viewing increased 27% as the only genre to see increased engagement across broadcast. Cable benefited similarly, as a 4.9% jump in holiday movies helped the category capture 22.1% of cable viewing.
Fall TV viewing remains pivotal from a content perspective, and linear programming continues to draw large audiences, especially as the new TV season arrives each September. Amid the mix of must-see TV and sports, however, streaming remains the most popular option when compared with broadcast and cable among viewers.
Methodology and frequently asked questions
The Gauge provides a monthly macroanalysis of how consumers are accessing content across key television delivery platforms, including broadcast, streaming, cable and other sources. It also includes a breakdown of the major, individual streaming distributors. The chart itself shows the share by category and of total television usage by individual streaming distributors.
How is ‘The Gauge’ created?
What is included in “Other”?
What is included in “other streaming”?
Where does linear streaming contribute?
Do you include live streaming on Hulu and YouTube?
