Nielsen has released a new measure of TV usage that shows streaming platforms pulled in a bigger share of viewers’ time in May than broadcast networks did.
Per a measurement of different platforms Nielsen is calling “The Gauge,” streaming made up 26 percent of total TV usage in May, to 25 percent for over-the-air networks.
When Nielsen announced its Streaming Video Ratings measurement in April, it noted that in spring 2020, streaming made up less than one fifth of total TV usage.
“The past year has categorically shifted the television viewing landscape,” said Brian Fuhrer, senior vp product strategy at Nielsen.
Hastings also issued a call to fellow streamers — mentioning WarnerMedia chairman Jason Kilar by name — to up their games, noting that broadcast and cable together command more than twice the total usage of streaming.
That’s a big change from the standard line from streaming companies in recent years, which has been that Nielsen’s measurement doesn’t provide a full picture of streaming’s reach.
Netflix also has reason to tout the Nielsen findings, as they show that the company accounted for 6 percent of all TV usage in May.