March Madness boosts cable viewing, streaming continues upward trend

Streaming captured a record 43.8% share of television usage in March, according to Nielsen’s latest edition of The Gauge.

The March data showed streaming’s highest-ever percentage of total TV viewing, despite a 6% decline in overall television consumption from February. Nielsen attributed the shift to seasonal patterns and the impact of high-profile content releases across multiple streaming platforms.

For the first time in The Gauge’s monthly reports, the top 10 most-watched streaming programs originated from seven different platforms. These included Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, Max, Paramount+, Netflix and Apple TV+. Notable titles included “Reacher,” “Family Guy,” “Bluey,” “The White Lotus,” “1923,” “Love Is Blind,” and “Severance.”

Max, now part of Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming, recorded the largest month-over-month increase among streaming services, climbing 6% in March.

This rise was largely attributed to viewership for “The White Lotus.” YouTube also reached a platform record for a second consecutive month, accounting for 12% of total TV watch time.

Broadcast television declined by 9% in March to a 20.5% share of TV usage.

However, ABC’s broadcast of the Oscars on March 2 drew 20.3 million viewers across ABC and a Hulu simulcast, making it the most-watched program of the month. Nielsen data indicated that streaming contributed to a younger viewer demographic for the Oscars, with Hulu viewers three times more likely to be ages 18–34 than those watching through traditional means.

On cable, March Madness drove a rise in sports viewership, increasing cable’s share of TV use to 24%. Cable sports viewing was up 29%, and cable news programs accounted for seven of the top 10 most-watched cable broadcasts. The Elite Eight NCAA men’s basketball games on TBS and coverage of a presidential address on Fox News Channel were key contributors.

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The report also noted that scripted dramas accounted for 28% of total broadcast viewing in March. CBS’s “Tracker” appeared in five of the top 10 broadcast telecasts, each drawing more than 10 million viewers.

The March reporting period included viewing from Feb. 24 through March 30. Nielsen’s measurement follows the broadcast calendar, with weeks running Monday through Sunday.