Streaming just captured a record-breaking 40% of total TV usage

Here’s the thing:

Streaming scores another win — perhaps its biggest yet — by capturing a record 40.3% of all TV usage in June, according to Nielsen’s The Gauge, a monthly snapshot of total U.S. broadcast, cable and streaming consumption.

It’s the highest single category share of TV viewing notched since 2021, when cable set the previous record with 40.1%, and represents the top percentage of coverage from any delivery mode ever reported in the monthly tracker.

Data debrief:

The streaming uptick (an increase of nearly 7% year over year) is attributed to a rise in viewership among younger audiences, suggesting the start of summer break for kids and teens has been spent in front of screens. Indeed, Disney, up 14.8%, leads a pack of four streaming platforms earning double-digit usage growth, followed by Tubi (+14.7%), Netflix (+11.8%) and Max (+11.0%).

While streaming viewership overall saw a 6% hike compared with May, the category added 1.5 share points in June to push it over the record-breaking finish line.

The report also credits the return of streaming platforms’ hit series. Netflix, for instance, increased to 8.4% of total TV, thanks in part to Bridgerton’s latest season drawing a massive 9.3 billion viewing minutes. And Showtime’s Your Honor is being billed as the sleeper hit of the summer. In a partnership with Netflix, the 2020 two-season crime drama starring Bryan Cranston is enjoying a rousing rebirth, racking up 7.5 billion viewing minutes across Netflix and Paramount+.

By contrast, it’s no secret that broadcast viewership traditionally dips in the summer months, but the category saw gains with help from news (+5%) and sports (+26%), with the presidential debate, the NBA Finals, and the NHL Stanley Cup Finals pulling in viewers.

Why it matters:

Streaming’s strong summer debut indicates the category could continue this run throughout the rest of the year. As networks use these months to promote fall lineups, streamers appear to be at an advantage.

And what impact will the 2024 Paris Games have on the rest of the category’s share of TV consumption? With Peacock contributing to the 28.6 million viewers who watched the opening ceremony and presenting all 329 medal events live, all indicators suggest the race for dominance is streaming’s to lose.