In December, TV viewing rose slightly (0.3%) despite the surge in television usage during the Thanksgiving holiday. This was due to two of the year’s top 10 viewing days. However, people are becoming more fragmented in their viewing choices as they gravitate towards new titles and services.
Competition for viewers in December led to losses in viewing share for broadcast, cable, and streaming. However, “other” viewing options, like video games, rose by 2 share points during the holiday season. Peacock also achieved a 1% share of TV usage, becoming the latest service to cross the threshold and be broken out from the “other streaming” category.
December saw five days with over 100 billion viewing minutes, with streaming continuing to lead as the top category, capturing 38.1% of total TV usage, down just 0.1% from November. Among the streaming services, HBO Max saw the biggest increase in usage, thanks to the popularity of shows like The White Lotus, Friends, and The Big Bang Theory. Streaming usage in December was up 46.1% from the previous year, giving it a gain of 10.4 share points from total TV usage.
Broadcast and cable viewing declined (3.7% and 2.4%, respectively), due to less-compelling offerings compared to November and a post-election drop-off, which was particularly evident across cable. Sports viewing on broadcast slipped 12.3%, while drama viewing dropped 20%. However, feature film viewing increased 27%, making it the only genre to see increased engagement across broadcast. Cable also saw a boost, with a 4.9% increase in holiday movie viewing, helping it capture 22.1% of cable viewing.
Despite the popularity of linear programming during the fall TV season, streaming remains the most popular choice among viewers compared to broadcast and cable. With a mix of must-see TV and sports, streaming continues to be the preferred option for people.
