TV, Cable Ratings Get Viewing Bump In August

Broadcast and cable viewing increased in August, posting gains of 1.6% and 1.7%, respectively. According to Nielsen, Broadcast, which experienced its first usage gain since January, benefited from increased “participation variety” (e.g., America’s Got Talent) and “general variety” (e.g., Big Brother) viewing to balance the steady news and drama genres, which accounted for 16.9% and 24.8% of viewing, respectively. Comparatively, the start of the NFL preseason and the arrival of the first presidential debate fueled viewing gains across cable, with sports and news accounting for 6.7% and 20.8% of viewing in August, respectively.

Streaming usage remained strong in August, but the return to school had an oversized effect on the 1.6% monthly dip in usage: Approximately 80% was due to decreased usage among viewers 2-17. Despite the drop in usage among kids, Disney+ had the third- and fourth-most watched titles: Bluey and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, with 4.2 billion and 3.2 billion minutes, respectively. The top two titles, Suits and The Lincoln Lawyer, remained strong, but not strong enough to offset a 4.8% drop in usage on Netflix. Peacock, which also carries Suits, was the biggest gainer, with usage rising 8.3% as a result of events like WWE SummerSlam, shared coverage of the NFL Hall of Fame Game and the success of The Super Mario Brothers Movie. While not included in the streaming category, linear streaming represented 5.1% of TV usage in August (please refer to the methodology for more information).

Despite its current stronghold with viewers, streaming platforms will see more competition in September as both the MLB playoff race narrows, and broadcast and cable benefit from broader coverage of new NCAA and NFL football seasons. With new scripted content in shorter supply this fall, it will be interesting to see how audiences navigate what remains a very vast and expanding TV landscape.

TV Trending

The Gauge provides a monthly macroanalysis of audience viewing behaviors across key television delivery platforms, including broadcast, streaming, cable and other sources. It also includes a breakdown of the major, individual streaming distributors. The chart itself represents monthly total television usage, broken out into share of viewing by category and by individual streaming distributors.