How Are US TV Viewing Habits Evolving?

In 2023, streaming services accounted for 37.5% of all TV viewing in the United States, up from 36.9% in 2022 in the same month. This trend will likely continue as streaming services offer a wide variety of content, including original programming, licensed TV shows and movies, and live sports.

Streaming services offer a wide variety of content to appeal to a broad audience, including original programming, licensed TV shows and movies, live sports, documentaries, and more. This wide selection of content is one of the reasons why streaming services are gaining market share rapidly. While streaming services continue to experience explosive growth, live TV and sports still attract significant advertising dollars.

Deep Dive: September Trends

A recent Nielsen report on sports viewing in September 2023 revealed two important trends for advertisers:

• Broadcast TV viewership is up among younger audiences, thanks to sports. The return of college football and the NFL season boosted broadcast viewership for individuals aged 18-54 by 33%. This is a significant increase, as this demographic is often challenging to reach through traditional advertising channels.
• Sports are still a major driver of live TV viewing. Broadcast viewership increased 13% in September, with sports programming soaring 360%. This is especially noteworthy among younger viewers, with viewing among people under 50 increasing 33% and viewing among people 25-34 rising 47%. This suggests that sports are a key way to reach younger audiences, who are increasingly shifting away from traditional TV.

However, the report also found that streaming usage is down among school-age viewers, coinciding with the return of school. This suggests that advertisers who target younger audiences should be more mindful of their streaming strategy during the school year.

Implications for Advertisers

Overall, the Nielsen data suggests that sports and live TV are still important for advertisers, even as streaming continues to grow in popularity. Advertisers who want to reach younger audiences should focus on sports programming and other live events. They should also be aware that streaming usage among school-age viewers may be lower during the school year.

By understanding the Nielsen data and the implications for their target audiences, professional advertisers can develop more effective campaigns.