In case you needed any further convincing as to why leagues like the NFL and NBA are falling all over themselves to get their games on streaming platforms, May’s Nielsen numbers should explain the way the wind is blowing.
Nielsen’s The Gauge report for May showed record highs for streaming’s share of TV usage. The category garnered 38.8 percent of TV viewing.
YouTube continued its dominance as the top-performing streaming platform with a 9.7% share, tying its all-time high set in March. Netflix came in second with 7.6% of TV viewing followed by Hulu (3.1%), Prime Video (3.0%), and Disney Plus (1.8%).
FAST (free ad-supported streaming television) platforms also saw positive momentum, with a combined 4.1 percent share of TV viewing in May. Both Tubi (1.8%) and The Roku Channel (1.5%) hit all-time highs and are both up significantly year-over-year (43% and 36%, respectively).
As for broadcast viewing, sports helped keep it chugging along. The Kentucky Derby on NBC was the top broadcast telecast in May, garnering 16 million viewers. Overall, broadcast accounted for 22.3% of TV viewing.
Meanwhile, cable viewing was down almost one percent to 28.2%. While the month includes the NBA Playoffs and the Final Four, there were fewer overall sporting events to keep the momentum going. Still, early WNBA returns bode well for how that league can become a solid performer in the years ahead.
[Nielsen]
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.