Streaming as a viewing category leveled up again in December, according to Nielsen‘s monthly Gauge report, rising 9% over the previous month after a comparable gain in November.
Collectively, streaming outlets accounted for 43.3% of total watch time on TV sets, up from 35.9% in December 2023.
Amid that rising tide, YouTube‘s share of overall viewing set a new record for the Google-owned video platform, at 11.1%. Prime Video also hit a new platform high at 4%, thanks in part to its exclusive Black Friday NFL telecast, Thursday Night Football and Dwayne Johnson holiday film Red One. While the big-budget film was a mediocre performer in theaters, it racked up 5.8 billion viewing minutes during December.
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Nielsen said its latest edition of the Gauge captures viewing from November 25 to December 29, meaning Thanksgiving and Christmas are included but not New Year’s Eve.
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Netflix accounted for 8.5% of total viewing in December, tying the record level it reached in July 2023. The subscription streaming leader increased viewing 14% from the prior month thanks to two Christmas Day NFL games, action thriller Carry-On and the Season 2 premiere of Squid Game.
Max garnered an 18% monthly viewing increase in December, the largest among all streaming players.
College and NFL football were the main drivers for broadcast and cable during the span, gaining a respective 17% and 29% over the previous month. The cable category also saw an 18% bump in feature film viewing (after a 14% increase in November).
Broadcast networks pulled back on scripted dramas during the holiday season, resulting in an 18% dip in the genre. Cable news, following the end of the presidential election cycle, dropped by 27%. Overall, broadcast and cable viewing accounted for 22.4% and 23.8% of December TV watch time, respectively, and 46.2% of TV viewing combined.