Report: YouTube first streamer to top US TV usage
September 5, 2024
YouTube moved into the top spot among media distributors in the July 2024 Media Distributor Gauge report, Nielsen’s monthly view of total TV consumption across the US by media company.
Time spent watching YouTube on television was up 7 per cent compared to June, leading the streaming platform to account for 10.4 per cent of total TV in July (up from 9.9 per cent). This marks the first time a streaming platform ranks first in the Media Distributor Gauge chart, and the first time a streamer has exceeded 10 per cent of total TV usage in a given month.
Seasonality plays a significant role in viewing behaviour fluctuations observed throughout the year, and summer months typically include increases in both streaming viewership and kids’ total TV usage, notes Nielsen. As such, YouTube’s leap to the top media distributor in July was driven largely by school-aged viewers (P2-17) who accounted for nearly 30 per cent of YouTube viewership for the month, and 13 per cent of TV viewership overall – the largest usage total for that age demographic since July 2023.
TV viewing in July was also impacted by increased political news coverage and the start of the Summer Olympics. Led by coverage of the Republican National Convention, Fox News Channel saw a 39 per cent bump in viewing this month, while Tubi notched 6 per cent growth compared to June. Both entities helped drive a 16 per cent increase for Fox overall. Fox added 0.8 to its share of TV to finish July with 7.4 per cent total TV usage, marking the company’s largest share of TV so far this year and moving it to fifth among media distributors.
Even with just three days of Olympics coverage included in the July reporting interval, the impact the Summer Games had on NBCUniversal was evident. NBCU’s share of TV climbed from 8.5 per cent in June to 9.5 per cent in July, and viewership across all NBCU distribution channels was up 14 per cent, driven by a 33 per cent increase for Peacock and a 24 per cent increase across broadcast affiliates.
Disney finished July with the second largest share of TV at 9.9 per cent after recording a 0.9 point loss from June. However, year-to-date totals (January – July) show that Disney leads all media distributors with 11 per cent of TV viewing through seven months, followed by YouTube at 9.6 per cent and NBCU at 9.1 per cent. A wider lens look further emphasises the potential impact of monthly factors like content availability and time of year.
Nielsen’s report concluded: “The summer-to-autumn transition is one of the most dynamic in the [US] TV viewing landscape each year. And this year, on top of the expected return of [NFL] and a new season of scripted programming, we also factor in major TV events including the Summer Olympics and the lead up to the presidential election. With these variables in the mix, TV viewership over the next few months could be as exciting as the content that drives it”.