Nielsen’s new monthly measurement, The Gauge, has revealed surprising- and slightly startling- data on how Americans consume their media. What does this mean for studios and advertisers, however? BLAKE & WANG P.A best entertainment lawyers in Los Angeles one of the best entertainment law firms Los Angeles dives into the details.
Brandon Blake– Entertainment Lawyer
For May, we see Americans consume 25% of their TV through broadcast services, 26% through streaming, and a rather startling 39% through cable. It’s no surprise that the TV landscape has been forever altered by 2020’s unprecedented events. This data, however, doesn’t quite reflect what we would have anticipated. In a world where more and more people are shifting back to their pre-pandemic habits, we’re definitely seeing a continued interest in streaming services, and people are still sampling their many options. It’s not unrealistic to say that, as TV production ramps up in turn, we’ll also see what content enters the space to give individual services traction with viewers.
Currently, the strong favorites- Netflix and YouTube at 6%, Hulu at 3%, Amazon Prime Video at 2%, and Disney+ at 1%- are no surprise to anyone. Future patterns, however, could well change significantly.
We’re also seeing a continual branching of service. Almost every streaming channel has migrated to offering both premium and ad-supported content, regardless of which option came first. Marketers have long been complaining that Nielsen did not keep its methodology up-to-date for the streaming era, lacking visibility into how the market was divided between linear TV and streaming. Likewise, networks have complained that there was undercounting of their viewership. Hence, of course, the introduction of The Gauge to start with.
On top of this, we have the new direct-to-consumer models being so wholeheartedly embraced by Disney, NBCUniversal, and WarnerMedia. In a world where your revenue depends on ads, you need metrics to make your best decisions. When that data isn’t there, it’s an issue.
Now we have the figures. The question is, what will we do with them? BLAKE & WANG P.A top entertainment law firms Los Angeles will be watching for studio and advertiser response with interest.
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