Streaming viewership overtakes cable TV for the first time
The day has come. The leading streaming services drew more viewers than cable TV for the first time in July, according to a report released Thursday by the media firm Nielsen. It's a milestone that has been anticipated by media analysts for years as consumers have been cutting the cord in droves and moving to internet-powered services. Streaming represented a record-breaking 34.8% share of total television consumption in the U.S. last month, exceeding cable (34.4%) and broadcast (21.6%), according to The Gauge, Nielsen's monthly overview of viewership trends. The aggregate use of streaming app s has overtaken broadcast in the past, but July's numbers are the first time streaming viewership has also exceeded cable viewing, according to Nielsen. American audiences watched an average of 190. 9 billion minutes of streamed content a week in July, Nielsen's research showed — eclipsing the average 169. 9 billion minutes that viewers watched during the early pandemic lockdow...