In the U.S., the annual Upfront (and Newfront) events put TV media in the center spotlight. This year, we’re diving into the Nielsen data to help the industry understand the trends that are shaping the way we watch.
1. Linear TV still represents the majority of the ad-supported opportunity.
Looking at our most recent classic Gauge reportโwhich represents total use of the television setโyou can see that linear TV and streaming are rather close to one another in terms of share. Broadcast and cable combined represent 44.5% of time spent, and streaming represents 43.8%.ย
However, when we peel back the onion a bit more and look strictly at ad-supported viewing, we can see that gap gets significantly wider. In our recently released Ad Supported Gauge, broadcast and cable combined account for 57.6% of time spent, while streaming is at 42.4%. So, while streaming certainly continues to gain ground, when it comes to the opportunity to see ads, linear still has a significant lead.
2. TV’s multiplatform opportunity has come into focus.
Streaming secara permanen mengubah lanskap televisi selama 10 tahun terakhir, dan mudah untuk menganggapnya sebagai persaingan antara dunia streaming dan dunia siaran dan TV kabel. Namun, ketika Anda melihat data penayangan baru-baru ini, ternyata ini lebih merupakan percakapan "ya, dan" (meminjam frasa dari dunia komedi improvisasi).
Certainly there are moments when each platform shines: Thanksgiving football and the Super Bowl on broadcast; New Yearโs college football on cable; Stranger Things dan Suits on Netflix. However, weโve also seen how the different platforms can work together to really meet different viewers where they are. The 2024 Summer Games are one clear cut example: NBCUโs Peacock delivered live streams and highlights by sport throughout the competition, but NBCโs primetime coverage still saw substantial increases compared to the prior Summer Olympics. This yearโs Super Bowl is another: Tubi was able to draw a different but complementary audience relative to FOXโs broadcast.
There are more subtle examples as well. The first season of CBSโs Fire Country launched on Netflix just before the third season premiered on broadcast, and likely reached viewers who hadnโt seen the show previously. Then, when the third season opener landed on Paramount+, it saw a 55% bump in viewership compared to the second season premiere.
Dan bahkan jika kita melihat seluruh aset televisi perusahaan dan memeriksa pemirsa berdasarkan demografi usia, kita dapat melihat di mana ada peluang untuk menjangkau pemirsa yang berbeda dalam satu portofolio. Disney adalah salah satu contoh dari dinamika tersebut; NBCUniversal dan Paramount adalah dua contoh lainnya.
3. Streaming menjadi semakin kompetitif-ada lebih banyak hit di lebih banyak platform.
Netflix remains a powerhouse in the streaming world, but as other platforms mature and content strategies evolve, weโre seeing a wider range of titles land in our top 10 rankings. Five years ago, Netflix carried eight of the 10 top streaming assets, but this past March, we saw a total of seven different companies score entries on the chart. This creates more opportunities for brands to be part of the cultural conversation.
Itโs also important to see this in context as originals that attract a big audience tend to peak quickly whereas multi-season titles with deep libraries (e.g. NCIS, Anatomi Grey) are critical to hold audiences over time.
4. Olahraga mewakili pangsa yang semakin meningkat dalam menonton TV linear-tetapi juga mendorong jumlah besar untuk streaming.
In the four year daily viewing trend above, you can see the big spikes in viewing on broadcast and cable around major acara olahraga. But it isnโt just the big moments that are attracting viewers; in fact, sports content has increased its share of viewing on linear TV in each of the last four years. Entertainment content retains the lionโs share, but in 2024, sports approached 20% of total viewing time among adults 25-54. Given how powerful live sports are for both fan engagement and as a promotional platform, it will continue to be a major asset for networks.
All that being said, streamers are certainly part of the sports conversation now, and are seeing it pay dividends. Thursday Night Football on Prime Video averaged over 14 million viewers this past season, and the Christmas Day NFL games on Netflix hit new streaming highs and helped drive total streaming viewership to over 50 billion minutes for the first time on a single day.
5. Konten multi-bahasa dan perpustakaan yang mendalam menjadikan streaming tempat yang tepat untuk menjangkau audiens yang beragam.
As weโve noted in our Black dan AANHPI Diverse Intelligence Series reports this year, multicultural consumers are essential for brands to connect with. Linear TV certainly still offers options to reach themโfor example, broadcast is particularly important for Hispanic homesโbut the depth and breadth of streaming options available today allows audiences to really dig in.
Karena Netflix dan YouTube menghadirkan banyak konten internasional, tidak mengherankan jika keduanya mewakili porsi waktu yang signifikan di antara pemirsa yang beragam, terutama pemirsa Hispanik dan Asia. Kedua platform ini menyumbang sekitar sepertiga dari total waktu menonton televisi untuk kedua kelompok tersebut.
Secara umum, streaming lebih mencerminkan susunan total semesta TV daripada linear. Namun, dengan melihat masing-masing platform akan mengungkapkan lapisan peluang tambahan. Kami telah menyinggung tentang Netflix dan YouTube, tetapi contoh lainnya termasuk The Roku Channel dan Tubi, yang memiliki indeks yang tinggi di antara pemirsa kulit hitam.
