Walt Disney maintained its lead in U.S. TV viewing share in December, bolstered by holiday movie marathons and strong performances across its cable networks, according to Nielsen’s latest report on Tuesday.
YouTube secured the second spot with a record 11.1% share of total TV time, marking its 10th consecutive month as one of the top two media distributors.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
End-of-year holidays typically see increased TV and streaming consumption, with media firms capitalizing on this trend through holiday specials, exclusive sports events, and seasonal content releases.
Media companies are also increasingly investing in live events and sports content, which offer real-time engagement and mass appeal.
BY THE NUMBERS
Streaming viewership climbed 9% in December, setting a new Nielsen record with 43.4% of total TV watch time, the market research firm reported earlier this month.
Disney held the top spot with 11.2% of total usage in December, thanks to strong performances across its cable networks, football-driven gains on ESPN, and the popular animated series “Bluey” on Disney+.
Netflix experienced a 14% increase in viewing compared to November, achieving 8.5% of total TV watch-time.
The company benefited from two Christmas Day NFL games and the nearly 15 billion viewing minutes accumulated by popular titles like “Carry-On,” “Squid Game,” and “Virgin River.”
Other streamers that performed well include Amazon.com’s Amazon Prime Video and Roku Channel.
(Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)
