Total streaming usage hit a new record claiming 35% of total TV usage in August, but audience engagement across platforms is starting to fluctuate depending on where content is located with high notoriety. Between 2021 and 2022, streaming volume increased by 22.6% compared to last August, while monthly usage was virtually unchanged from July.
As we know, the uses of SVOD are firmly anchored in the practices of American consumer viewers while the churn is soaring, at least for the main platforms, Netflix in the lead. At the platform level, the audience goes where the content is. In July, Netflix’s mega-hit “Stranger Things” inspired nearly 18 billion minutes of viewing. In August, this massive backlash subsided, contributing to a 6.5% drop in usage and a 0.5 point loss in TV audience share for Netflix.
By comparison, the highly anticipated debut of HBO’s “House of The Dragon” fueled a 13.7% increase in HBO Max usage, translating into a record 1.2% runtime. television. Meanwhile, YouTube continued to grow its streaming share, adding 2.8% in volume to join Netflix – for the first time – and account for 7.6% of total TV usage. YouTube is also benefiting from its YouTube TV platform, which accounted for 11.9% of all YouTube views in August, following a 14.9% increase in usage from July.
Broadcast was the only category that saw a 1.6% increase, gaining half a point of market share. This growth was supported by an 11% increase in the General Variety category and a 3% increase for Sports. Although down 0.4% from July, cable benefited from a 13% increase in news viewing and a 27.4% increase in sports.
Year-over-year figures show audience declines of 10.9% and 9.4% for broadcast and cable, respectively. Nielsen nevertheless remains cautious about the start of the school year, where the return of flagship television programs could rebalance audiences.
