Streaming viewership exceeded cable and broadcast combined for the first time last month, report says

Streaming services surpassed both cable and network television in total viewership among people in the U.S. for the first time in May, according to a new report from Nielsen.

Last month, streaming services accounted for 44.8% of all television viewership, their largest share to date. Nielsen found that total viewership for cable and network television accounted for 44.2% of all television viewership.

When compared to May 2021, streaming usage has increased 71%, while broadcast is down 21% and cable is down 39%.

The report also shows that YouTube took the crown for highest viewership with 12.5%. Netflix followed with 7.5% of total viewership for the month.

Nielsen notes that free streaming services have been a major driver of streaming’s overall success: PlutoTV, Roku Channel, and Tubi accounted for a combined 5.7% of total TV viewing in May.