Live streaming as a viewing category rose again in December, according to Nielsen’s monthly barometer report, rising 9% from the previous month after similar gains in November.
Collectively, streaming outlets accounted for 43.3% of total viewing time on TVs, up from 35.9% in December 2023.
Amid this rising tide, YouTube’s share of total viewing set a new record for the video platform owned by Google, at 11.1%. Prime Video also reached a new high on the platform at 4%, thanks in part to the exclusive Black Friday NFL telecast. Thursday Night Football And Dwayne Johnson’s holiday movie Red one. While the big-budget film performed modestly in theaters, it generated 5.8 billion viewing minutes during the month of December.
Nielsen said its latest version of the metric depicts viewing from November 25 to December 29, meaning Thanksgiving and Christmas are included but not New Year’s Eve.
Netflix accounted for 8.5% of total viewing in December, matching the record it reached in July 2023. The leading subscription streaming service increased viewership 14% from the previous month thanks to two NFL games and a Christmas Day thriller . carry And the premiere of the second season of Squid game.
Max had an 18% month-on-month increase in viewership in December, the largest of all streamers.
College football and the NFL were the main drivers for broadcast and cable during the period, gaining 17% and 29%, respectively, over the previous month. The cable category also saw an 18% rise in feature film viewing (after a 14% increase in November).
Broadcast networks pulled back on scripted dramas during the holiday season, leading to an 18% decline in the genre. Cable news after the presidential election cycle ended was down 27%. Overall, broadcast and cable viewing accounted for 22.4% and 23.8% of TV viewing time in December, respectively, and 46.2% of TV viewing combined.