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YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video set new viewing records in December, according to Nielsen data.

Increased TV and streaming viewership: Total TV watching saw a 4% rise compared to November, with streaming viewings soaring by 9%

YouTube, Netflix, and Prime Video reached unprecedented viewership figures in December, according...
YouTube, Netflix, and Prime Video reached unprecedented viewership figures in December, according to Nielsen data.

YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video set new viewing records in December, according to Nielsen data.

In the period from Nov. 25 to Dec. 29, 2024, streaming services dominated the television landscape, surpassing both broadcast and cable networks in overall viewership share. According to Nielsen's The Gauge report, this trend was a continuation of the established growth documented throughout the year.

During the holiday season, streaming services such as YouTube and Netflix saw significant increases in their share of total TV viewing time. For instance, YouTube's viewership rose by 7%, resulting in a 11.1% share of TV usage, while Netflix accounted for 8.5% of total TV viewing in December.

Two of the four days within the interval exceeded 100 billion TV viewing minutes, with Thanksgiving and Christmas being among them. Notably, "Beast Games" starring Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson accumulated over 700 million viewing minutes across its first three episodes on Prime Video, making it the month's top streaming title on the platform.

On the other hand, broadcast and cable networks experienced a 18% dip in scripted drama viewership during the holiday season. However, the increase in sports viewership helped to mitigate this decline, with the NFL, college bowl games, and the first round of the College Football Playoff contributing to a 17% and 29% rise in sports viewership for broadcast and cable respectively.

Cable held a 23.8% share of December TV watch time, while broadcast accounted for 22.4% of total TV viewing. Despite a 27% decline in cable news due to the end of the presidential election cycle, the category still managed a 18% increase in feature-film viewing.

Streaming viewership climbed another 9% in December, with Max experiencing the largest monthly viewing increase among all streaming platforms at 18%. The growth on Max was driven by shows like "The Big Bang Theory", "Friends", and "Dune: Prophecy".

Prime Video also saw a boost, reaching a platform-best 4.0% share of TV, thanks to hosting five NFL "Thursday Night Football" games and the success of "Red One" and "Beast Games". Meanwhile, "Carry-On" generated 5.2 billion viewing minutes from Dec. 13 to 29 on Netflix.

Overall, viewing increased by 4% month-over-month in December, according to Nielsen's The Gauge report. As we move into 2025, it seems clear that the trend towards streaming dominance is set to continue.

  • The growth in streaming services' viewership share during the holiday season was significant, with YouTube and Netflix accounting for 11.1% and 8.5% of total TV viewing time respectively.
  • The first three episodes of "Beast Games" on Prime Video amassed over 700 million viewing minutes, making it the month's top streaming title on the platform.
  • Despite a decline in scripted drama viewership, sports viewing helped to offset this decline for both broadcast and cable networks, with the NFL, college bowl games, and the first round of the College Football Playoff contributing to a rise in sports viewership.
  • Streaming viewership continued its upward trend in December, with Max experiencing the largest monthly viewing increase among all streaming platforms at 18%.

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