Topline
Led by Netflix, streaming platforms captured a record 34.8% of all television views in July, according to Nielsen’s monthly ratings report, marking the first time that streaming has surpassed cable since the company started tracking streaming viewership; it topped broadcast as well.
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Key Facts
Streaming in July jumped 22.6% compared to the same month last year, Nielsen said, noting that the surge was largely driven by high-profile streaming releases last month.
Broadcast captured 21.6% of television viewing in July, a whopping 9.8% decline compared to the same month last year, while cable took a 34.4% share, down 8.9% compared to July 2021.
Less sports content in July hurt broadcast and cable—Nielsen product strategy head Brian Fuhrer noted to Forbes that the NHL and NBA playoffs aired in July last year versus in June this year.
Despite reporting a slump in subscribers, Netflix captured the largest share of streaming (8%) of all the platforms, Nielsen said, driven by the hit series Stranger Things, which racked up 18 billion viewing minutes last month.
Hulu accounted for 3.6% of streaming, a new record for the platform, and thanks in large part to a new season of Only Murders In The Building and the premiere of the new series The Bear, which added up to 3 billion minutes, Nielsen said.
Amazon’s Prime Video took a 3% share of streaming, thanks to the new series The Terminal List and new episodes of The Boys, which took more than 8 billion viewing minutes in July, according to Nielsen.
What To Watch For
While streaming will likely remain the dominant form of television consumption, Fuhrer told Forbes that broadcast and cable will likely “see some rebound” this fall, as college sports and the NFL season start up and attract a higher share of viewership to those mediums.
Key Background
July’s overall television viewership was “virtually identical” to the previous month and the same month a year ago, Nielsen noted, but while streaming typically surpasses broadcast, last month was the first time it surpassed cable television. Streaming’s share of television has been consistently climbing and reached three consecutive record-breaking monthly figures leading up to July, Nielsen said. Nielsen began tracking audience figures for major streaming services in 2020, and keeps tabs on Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video viewership.
Further Reading
Viewers Watched More Than 5 Billion Minutes Of ‘Stranger Things 4’ In A Week, Breaking Record (Forbes)
Here’s How Much More You Have To Pay For Streaming Services Compared To Last Year (Forbes)
