Streaming Usage Rebounds in May, Strengthening its Position in the United States
After a slight decline in April, streaming usage in the United States rebounded in May, accounting for 36.4% of TV time. This increase comes after Nielsen made changes to its methodology to better capture streaming usage, resulting in a monthly increase in viewership. However, it is important to note that about half of the 2.5% increase in monthly usage reflects viewer behavior. Despite the gains in streaming, total TV usage still fell by 4.4% compared to April.
Nielsen, the leading measurement company, is continuously refining its measurement techniques. In May, Roku became the latest streaming service to gain standalone coverage in Nielsen’s gauge, capturing 1.1% of total TV usage. Roku’s stellar performance highlights the growing footprint of ad-supported free-to-air television services (FAST). The three independently reported FAST services, including Pluto TV, Tubi TV, and Roku Channel, are each comparable in usage to popular streaming platforms like Peacock and HBO Max. Collectively, they represent a larger audience than Amazon Prime Video. Tubi TV garnered the largest audience in May with 1.3%, followed by Roku and Pluto TV with 0.9%, leaving Pluto TV behind its two direct competitors in the FAST market.
In terms of individual streaming platforms, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video experienced growth in May, with usage increases of 9.2% and 5.1% respectively. Almost half of Netflix’s increase can be attributed to the change in methodology. Additionally, Netflix had the top three streaming titles in May, including “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” with 5.4 billion minutes watched, “A Man Called Otto” with 3.1 billion minutes, and “The Mother” with 3.0 billion minutes. Amazon Prime Video benefited from popular shows like “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Citadel,” totaling 2.7 billion minutes of viewing. YouTube maintained its position as the top streaming platform for the fourth consecutive month, accounting for 8.5% of television and gaining 0.4 points of share.
The 4.4% decline in total television viewership in May can be attributed to declines in broadcast and cable viewership, which saw decreases of 5.5% and 5.4% respectively. These declines resulted in a 0.3 point decline in market share for broadcast and cable. The decline in sports viewership, which experienced a 25% decrease, played a significant role in the overall decline in broadcasting.
Looking beyond the monthly changes, it is crucial to compare the current state of streaming with May 2022. Streaming has emerged as the leading platform in terms of total audiences, surpassing cable and broadcasting. Cable usage fell from 36.5% to 31.1%, broadcasting declined from 24.4% to 22.8%, while streaming increased from 31.9% to 36.4%. YouTube has taken the lead in the streaming sector, and FAST services are beginning to pose serious competition to paid subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services. These trends suggest a rapid change in the video subscription market in the coming months.
As streaming continues to strengthen its position in the United States, it is evident that viewer preferences are shifting towards on-demand and ad-supported services. The evolving landscape of television consumption highlights the need for accurate measurement techniques and the importance of adapting to changing viewer behavior.
How did the usage of Disney+ and Hulu change in May, and what factors contributed to their growth or decline
Hodology by Nielsen. Both platforms continue to dominate the streaming market, with Netflix accounting for 30.6% of streaming usage and Amazon Prime Video close behind at 22.8%.
Disney+ and Hulu also witnessed growth in May, with usage increases of 3.2% and 1.8% respectively. Disney+ maintained its position as the third-largest streaming platform, capturing 13.2% of streaming usage, while Hulu accounted for 9%. However, it is worth noting that Hulu’s increase was driven by an extended free trial promotion during the month.
Other streaming platforms, including Apple TV+, HBO Max, and Peacock, experienced slight declines in May. Apple TV+ saw a usage decline of 1.9%, while HBO Max and Peacock had decreases of 0.8% and 0.6% respectively. Despite these declines, HBO Max remains the fourth-largest streaming platform, accounting for 7.2% of streaming usage, followed by Peacock at 5.6% and Apple TV+ at 4%.
The rebound in streaming usage in May further solidifies its position in the United States as the preferred method of consuming TV content. With the continuous evolution of measurement techniques by Nielsen and the increasing popularity of ad-supported free-to-air television services, streaming is expected to continue its growth trajectory in the coming months. However, it is important to monitor viewer behavior and changes in the industry landscape to fully understand the impact on streaming platforms and overall TV usage.
