Streaming hits 36.4% of all TV viewing in May, Nielsen survey reports

The landscape of television consumption continues to shift as the use of streaming platforms bounced back in May, capturing 36.4% of all TV viewing according to Nielsen’s The Gauge, a monthly overview of audience viewing behaviors across key television delivery platforms.

The rebound marked a 2.5% increase from the prior month making up for a 2.1% dip in April.

In part, this surge can be credited to a methodology change, which now more accurately attributes viewing of streaming originals via cable set-top boxes to the streaming category. This previously fell into the “other” category. Even accounting for this change, however, nearly half of the monthly increase in streaming usage reflects a genuine change in viewing behavior.

The Gauge’s latest report also highlighted the rising prevalence of free ad-supported television (FAST) services. Roku Channel, the latest FAST service to garner independent coverage in The Gauge, secured 1.1% of total TV usage in May.

The rise of the Roku Channel is emblematic of the growing influence of FAST services in the television consumption market.

The rise of FAST, free ad-supported streaming television

When combined, the three FAST services independently reported in The Gauge (Pluto TV, Tubi TV, Roku Channel) equate in usage to Peacock and HBO Max. Collectively, they even surpass the viewership of Amazon Prime Video.

The recent report indicates that Netflix and Amazon Prime Video both gained traction in May, with usage gains of 9.2% and 5.1%, respectively. Part of Netflix’s increase is attributed to the methodology change, but the platform also boasted the top three streaming titles for the month. 

Despite the positive trend in streaming, total TV usage saw a decline of 4.4% from April, which The Gauge attributes to reduced broadcast and cable viewing, dropping by 5.5% and 5.4% respectively. This is perhaps reflective of the larger shifting paradigm of television consumption towards streaming and FAST services, in line with evolving technological trends and consumer preferences.

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This transition is also marked by changing interests.

A notable 25% drop in sports viewing greatly impacted the decline in broadcast. Yet, the viewership of events like the Kentucky Derby still managed to outpace popular shows like NCIS, Young Sheldon, and Blue Bloods. While cable ended its streak of share gains from the past two months, extensive coverage of the NBA Finals on ESPN and TNT triggered a 12% increase in sports viewership.

Comparatively, broadcast and cable viewing saw year-over-year decreases of 5.6% and 13.7% respectively, underlining the ongoing shift in audience preferences. Despite the traction generated by the CNN Town Hall, news viewing also fell more than 11% from April.