Streaming Hits Record High, With 38.8% of All TV Viewing

Nearly two years after surpassing cable to become the most popular method of watching TV, the popularity of streaming continues to climb, constituting a record high of 38.8% of all TV viewing in May, according to Nielsen.

With warm weather approaching, overall TV usage usually declines and indeed, viewing was down just slightly on a monthly basis (-2.4%), but a year-over-year comparison showed a slight increase in time spent watching TV in May (+1.4%). Across viewing categories, streaming exhibited the most growth, adding 0.4 pt. to its share of TV usage to record a new high watermark of 38.8%. Streaming usage climbed 8% compared with May 2023, and the category has added 2.4 share points to its share of TV.

FAST platforms (Tubi, The Roku Channel, PlutoTV) continued their momentum and each gained 0.1 pt. in May, culminating in a combined 4.1% share of TV. In addition to hitting platform-high shares, Tubi and The Roku Channel also showed significant year-over-year growth with Tubi usage up 43% and The Roku Channel up 36% compared with May 2023.

Broadcast viewing was elevated by “finale season” and in total the category added 0.1 pt. to account for 22.3% of TV in May. After seven seasons on CBS, the series finale of the popular “Young Sheldon” sitcom concluded its successful run in a series finale which drew 11.74 million viewers.

The “Big Bang Theory” spinoff consistently garners considerable viewership in syndication as well, which includes runs on cable networks like TBS and Nick-At-Nite, and broad streaming availability on Paramount+, Netflix and Max. The 6 billion viewing minutes captured by “Young Sheldon” in May were split almost exactly in half between traditional linear channels and streaming platforms.

Replicating its 2023 success, the Kentucky Derby on NBC repeated as the top broadcast telecast in May with 16 million viewers—over 1 million more than a year ago. Following two consecutive months of growth, cable viewing dipped 0.9 pt. to 28.2% of overall TV usage. Despite NBA playoff games accounting for the top six cable telecasts in May, the conclusion of the NCAA basketball tournament combined with fewer televised sporting events in general contributed to a larger drop in cable viewing, Nielsen said.

The measurement interval for May 2024 was April 29 through May 26.