Netflix hits 8.5% of the U.S. TV viewing in December, ties all-time high
Overall streaming viewership reached a new high, accounting for 43.4% of total TV time
Highlights:
- Netflix accounted for 8.5% of total TV viewing in December, matching its July 2023 high.
- The platform’s viewership rose 14% over November, with a strong boost from NFL games and hit titles.
- YouTube reached a record 11.1% share of TV usage, while Prime Video hit 4.0%.
Netflix achieved an 8.5% share of total U.S. TV viewing in December 2024, according to Nielsen’s latest Gauge report. The platform matched its platform-best performance set in July 2023.
According to the data, Netflix saw a significant increase from November’s 7.7% and 7.5% in October.
Key drivers behind Netflix’s growth
Netflix’s 14% month-over-month increase was partly driven by two NFL games aired during the period. However, Nielsen’s data shows that even without those games, Netflix’s monthly usage would have grown by 11%.
Carry-On, which generated 5.2 billion viewing minutes from December 13 to 29, was also a key driver of this growth, ranking as the third-most streamed title of the period.
Additionally, Squid Game Season 2 contributed 4.9 billion viewing minutes in its final week, setting the highest weekly total for any streaming title in 2024.
YouTube and Prime Video also set new records
While Netflix maintained its strong position, YouTube continued to lead streaming platforms with an 11.1% share of TV usage in December, a 7% increase from the previous month.
Prime Video also achieved a platform-best 4.0% share. This increase can be attributed to its NFL Thursday Night Football coverage and the holiday blockbuster “Red One,” which amassed 5.6 billion viewing minutes.
The reality series Beast Games, featuring popular YouTuber MrBeast, also contributed to Prime Video’s growth, garnering over 700 million viewing minutes across its first three episodes.
Max also went up 18% in December, as “the largest among all streaming platforms” per Nielsen.
Overall TV and streaming market trends
Overall TV viewing was up 4% compared with November while streaming viewership hit a new high in December. The streaming sector accounted for 43.4% of total TV watch time, up from 42.5% in the previous month. This represented a 9% increase compared to November’s 7.6% growth.
This growth was supported by seasonal factors such as the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, which traditionally drive higher TV consumption.
Broadcast and cable see gains
Broadcast and cable networks also experienced viewership growth, with sports contributing significantly. Broadcast sports viewership grew by 17%, while cable sports saw a 29% increase. However, both sectors faced seasonal declines in other areas. Broadcast networks scaled back on scripted dramas during the holiday season, leading to an 18% drop in that genre, while cable news viewership fell 27% following the end of the election cycle.
Despite these challenges, broadcast and cable still accounted for 22.4% and 23.8% of December’s total TV watch time, respectively, combining for a 46.2% share.
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