Source: www.nielsen.com, October 2021
The arrival of the first real fall TV season in two years and the return of football (with fans) combined to drive big viewership in September, with broadcast programming gaining 2 share points to represent 26% of total TV usage. The rise represents the second consecutive increase in broadcast viewing and a high since the May 2021 debut of The Gauge, Nielsen’s Total TV and Streaming viewing snapshot.
The new NFL season has attracted a wealth of enthusiastic sports fans, while the new broadcast TV season has provided an infusion of new content and excitement, both of which were largely absent last year as a result of hampered production due to the pandemic.
While the share of broadcast viewership was a big mover in September, the “other TV” category of The Gauge lost 2 share points, which is attributable to a decrease in video gaming. That decline coincides with both the new school year and the new football season.
Streaming and cable’s aggregated shares of viewing both remained consistent with August, but Netflix and Disney+ each dropped a share point, while YouTube, which includes YouTube TV, stayed constant at 6%, according to Nielsen’s Streaming Platform Ratings. The “Other Streaming” category also gained in September, driven by a combination of engagement with additional services and linear streaming services, such as Sling TV.
Take me to the methodology details below.
Watch the video to hear Brian Fuhrer, SVP, Product Strategy at Nielsen dive into the interesting underpinnings of The Gauge. Stay tuned to see if broadcast will maintain its momentum next month or if new content being introduced on the streaming services will lure viewers to that platform.
