Streaming Hits New High in June

Streaming accounted for 37.7 percent of all TV usage in the U.S. in June, a record high according to Nielsen.

Per Nielsen’s The Gauge report, cable viewership was at 30.6 percent last month, with broadcast at 20.8 percent. The research company also found that overall TV usage was up for the first time since January, rising by 2.2 percent on May, led by younger demos. Notably, TV usage among the 2 to 11 set was up by more than 16 percent, and among the 12 to 17 demo it was up by 24.1 percent. Streaming and video gaming accounted for 90 percent of the increases across both groups.

Streaming usage increased by 5.8 percent from May to June, with half of that growth coming from viewers aged between 2 and 17.

By platform, YouTube leads at 8.8 percent, just ahead of Netflix at 8.2 percent. Hulu is in distant third at 3.5 percent, followed by Prime Video at 3.2 percent and then Disney+ at 2 percent. Rounding out the top ten platforms are Max and Tubi at 1.4 percent each, Peacock at 1.2 percent, Paramount+ at 1 percent alongside Roku Channel, with Pluto TV right behind them at 0.9 percent.

The most-watched streaming program in June was S.W.A.T., available on Hulu, Netflix and Paramount+, with nearly 5 billion minutes viewed.

Tubi remains the most-watched FAST service in The Gauge, seeing a 12.1 increase in usage from May to June. Disney+ benefited from more younger viewers streaming with usage up 11.9 percent. Max, on the heels of its relaunch, was up 15.6 percent.

Broadcast viewing, meanwhile, slipped by 6.6 percent month-to-month and is down 5.6 percent on last year. Cable was up slightly, powered by feature films and news.