Streaming surpasses cable for the first time, Nielsen figures show

Streaming usage has surpassed that of broadcast before, but this is the first time it has also exceeded cable viewing.

Streaming represented a record 34.8% share of total television; usage increased +3.2% compared to June and gained +1.1 share points. Time spent streaming in July averaged nearly 191 billion minutes per week, and each of the five measurement weeks account for five of the six highest-volume streaming weeks on record, says the global audience measurement specialist. 

Among streaming distributors, Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu and YouTube each captured record-high shares again in July after previously doing so in June. Netflix represented the largest share of overall TV viewing for a streaming platform with 8%, boosted by the nearly 18 billion viewing minutes of Stranger Things alone.

Cable viewing in July dropped -2% and -0.7 share points compared to June; year-on-year, cable usage was down -8.9% and -3.3 share points. Sports viewing posted the biggest decline for the category, dropping -15.4% from June and -34% from a year ago when the 2020 Summer Olympics (postponed due to the pandemic) began.

Viewing in the broadcast category, which is experiencing a typical lull in new content until the upcoming broadcast season begins in September, was down -3.7% in July versus June and represented a loss of -0.8 share points. On a monthly basis, broadcast sports viewing declined -41% in July compared to June, and the year-on-year comparison showed a decline of -43%.