Streaming officially overtakes cable as most-used TV platform for first time

The advent of Netflix and other streaming services over the years has presented a threat to the legacy of traditional broadcast networks. Many, like NBC, CBS and Fox, have managed to hang on, but recently, their younger peers have finally topped them.

Data unveiled by Nielsen today and reported on by The Hollywood Reporter shows streaming services accounted for about 35 percent of all TV usage in the United States in July. Cable was used by roughly 34 percent of Americans, and broadcast networks accounted for around 22 percent of watch time. These are each at their lowest points in the 14 months Nielsen has been monitoring platform rankings. Cable is down nine percent from a year ago, while broadcasting slipped by 10 percent. Streaming on the other hand has jumped a full percentage point from June and says its use has increased by about a point every single month since March.

Much of the streaming surge was fueled by work like Stranger Things, The Umbrella Academy and The Boys. For this group, Netflix was on top with eight percent of all TV usage followed by YouTube with seven percent, Hulu with four percent and Amazon with three percent followed by Disney Plus with two percent, and HBO Max with one. All others in the streaming space captured about 10.2 percent of the total television usage from Americans in the second month of the summer period. This success stands in contrast to the content purges and stock declines experienced at HBO Max and others like Netflix as of late.