Drama, Sports Lift U.S. Broadcast Viewership

Broadcast TV in the U.S. saw its third consecutive month of growth in October, according to Nielsen’s The Gauge, powered by sports and drama series.

Broadcast landed a 24 percent share of total viewing time, its largest share since January. Its gains were driven by a 29 percent boost in drama viewing and a 10 percent hike in sports viewership, led by NFL games.

Cable’s share was up to 26.3 percent of viewing, thanks to news coverage, namely the VP debate and election coverage, and sports.

Streaming was flat at 40.5 percent of viewing. YouTube remains out front at a 10.6 percent share of viewing, with Netflix slipping to 7.5 percent. Platforms that experienced gains included The Roku Channel, up 12 percent for a share of 1.8 percent, making it level with Tubi and putting it ahead of Peacock, Max and Paramount+.