Streaming’s Share of TV Viewing Rises to Record 30.4%: Nielsen

Nielsen Streaming
(Image credit: Nielsen)

Streaming’s share of television viewing rose to a record 30.4% in April from 29.7% in March, Nielsen said. 

Broadcasting’s share dropped to 24.7% from 24.9% and cable slipped to 36.8% from 36.9%. 

Overall TV viewing dropped by 2.1%, but streaming volume was little changed from the prior month.

Netflix’s share remained steady at 6.6%, despite the announcement by the streaming company that it lost 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter, sending its shares into a tailspin.

YouTube at a 6.1% share, up from 6.0%; Hulu had 3.3%, unchanged; Amazon Prime Video at 2.5%, up from 2.3% and Disney Plus had 1.7%, down from 1.8%.

HBO Max viewing rose to a 1% share, moving it out of the “other streamers” category for the first time.

Other streamers had a 9.2% share, down from 9.8%

Nielsen said that broadcast’s share was hurt by dramas starting to have season and series finales and a big drop in sports viewing. Cable was buttressed by sports viewing, with the NBA playoffs starting and the final games of the Final Four. Cable news was down 16.9% ■

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.