It finally happened. The streaming service officially hit a bigger audience than its traditional cable service in July. This is an industry first.
Services likeNetflix and Amazon Prime Video outperform cable networks and broadcast TV, according to analytics firm Nielsen.
US viewers spent 35% of him on streamers, 34% on cable networks and 22% on television, according to the company's report last month. Video on demand or DVD playback took up much of the rest of the time.
July is an unusual month. Television broadcasts are basically on vacation, there are few live sports or scripted shows, and the prime time schedule is full of game shows. But it clearly shows how fast business is changing.
"It was inevitable," said David Bianculli, professor of television studies at Rowan University and reviewer of NPR's Fresh Air. “I knew it had to happen, but I didn't think it would happen so quickly.”
July Streaming Audience Share Compared to July 2021 He increased by 23%, Nielsen said. Broadcast TV share fell by 10%, while cable fell by 9%.
Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in Netflix blockbuster Stranger Things
Courtesy of Netflix
Bryan Fuller, senior vice president of product strategy and thought leadership at Nielsen, said the streaming service was taking advantage of the quiet summer months of broadcasting to keep cable in its early days. He said he learned from what he did. New episodes of Stranger Things alone accounted for his 18 billion streaming minutes on Netflix, andVirgin Riverand }The Umbrella Academydid well too.
Netflix is still the top streamer, but it no longer dominates the space as it once did. In July Hulu posted strong numbers with Only Murders in the Building and The Bear, while Amazon Prime saw The Terminal List } and were hits. Boys.
Streamers have a backlog of new material as the pandemic-related suspension of filming schedules is largely over, Fuhrer said.
Many viewers have grown accustomed to streaming and added it to their media diet during the pandemic, he said. they haven't looked back. With the exception of the week between Christmas and New Year last year, each week of July totaled more streaming time than any other week Nielsen has counted.
Broadcast networks will be revitalized this fall as football games resume and newly scripted programming will air, Fuhrer said.
But it will be difficult to see them return to levels of dominance close to their past. It also has sister streaming services such as and Peacock, and is the future of streaming in general, he said.
"Virgin River" helped Netflix boost numbers
(Courtesy of NETFLIX)
Just streaming is the future, but we can't wait to get there as soon as possible," said Bianculli. "They're not doing anything to slow down the recharge."
Fuhrer said many football viewers will be back on TV this fall, and these networks will have their own programming. He said it would be interesting to see if he spends a lot of time promoting.
"This month and the next couple of months could be the most important period in television history for all media companies and their strategies," he said.
Some business pundits believe streaming services are in the pre-shakeout stage, and the industry finds very few outlets consumers are willing to pay for. Some services are about to be established before... As a result, a consolidation period may occur.
"It's a great time to be a TV viewer," said Biancri.
Additional Report by Associated Press
