With another round of results from Nielsen’s Gauge report, things are looking surprisingly good for both streaming and linear TV for a pleasant change. To fill us in on all the details, we have Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment attorney, Brandon Blake.
Streaming Soars, but Linear Gets a Boost, Too
Streaming has been on the rise for a while, to no one’s real surprise. For the April Gauge report, its upward trend continued, rising to 44.3% of all domestic TV use, up from March’s 43.8%. This represents the third month in a row where streaming platforms have set a new high.
However, this time it didn’t come at the expense of classic linear offerings, as it has in prior months. Cable was responsible for 24.5% of TV use in April, up slightly from 24% in the prior month. Broadcast networks, meanwhile, saw a 0.3% uptick to 20.8%. The loser in this round was Nielsen’s “Other TV” category, which is where everything from physical media to gaming fits in. This took a modest drop from March’s 11.7% to close at 10.3%.
Sports to the Rescue (Again)
For cable, this rise is mostly attributable to the NHL and NBA playoffs. In fact, CBS took home the crown for its broadcast of the NCAA men’s basketball championship. Interestingly, a core library title took the streaming crown- Grey’s Anatomy. Currently running its 21st season exclusively on Hulu, it managed to take in 10% of the streaming total despite only 15 episodes being available currently, including across library seasons. Nor does Nielsen’s Gauge account for its on-air viewing on ABC. Close on its heels came The White Lotus.
YouTube continues to dominate as the largest individual streaming platform used by TV viewers, rising to a 12.4% high. Roku saw a personal best (2.4%) and has seen 21% in growth since November last year. All in all, it’s been a positive month across the board- let’s hope to see that impetus continue into the rest of the year.
Film and Television 