- Broadcast viewership up 8% from July and nearly 12% YOY.
- NBC notched top 19 broadcast telecasts in August, while MSNBC owned the top 11 cable telecasts due to the DNC.
- Peacock viewership increased 39% over July; audiences 35-49 nearly doubled.
Television viewing in August was defined by the undeniable influence of the 2024 Paris Olympics, according to The Gauge™ report from Nielsen. The Summer Games had the most notable impact on broadcast viewership, notching growth levels more typical for September with increases of 8% versus July and 11.7% year over year. The broadcast category ultimately accounted for 22.0% of TV in August, and when looking week-by-week, its share peaked during the first week of the interval with 24.3% of TV.
On the streaming side, Peacock offered broad Olympics coverage to complement linear offerings, the success of which was demonstrated by a monthly viewership increase of 39% for the streaming service overall, and nearly double the amount of viewers aged 35-49. These factors helped lift Peacock from a 1.5% share of TV in July to a new platform-best 2.1% share in August (+0.6 pts.). It also makes Peacock only the third streaming platform this year to record a 0.5 point share increase or more on a monthly basis, in addition to YouTube (Feb. and July) and Netflix (June).
Olympics programming on NBC drew millions of viewers in both primetime and daytime windows. Across all of NBC’s Olympics telecasts that aired during the August interval*, 32 of them totaled more than 5 million viewers, and 17 garnered more than 10 million viewers. Moreover, Olympics telecasts on NBC notched the top 19 broadcast telecasts of the month. Leading the charge with 17.9 million viewers was NBC’s July 30th primetime program that highlighted Simone Biles and the U.S. women’s gymnastics team winning gold in the team competition, as well as four American medals in swimming and the dramatic bronze-medal victory by the U.S. women’s rugby team.
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From a total television usage perspective, August levels were even with July. However, a year-over-year comparison revealed a larger imbalance, as usage this month was up 3.5% versus August 2023. A notable year-over-year difference was also evident among broadcast program genres, with broadcast sports program viewership up 239% over August 2023, further illustrating the impact of the Games on the overall TV landscape.
Like the broadcast category, cable also exhibited a peak viewing week that coincided with a major TV event. The Democratic National Convention aired for four nights across multiple networks during the final week of the August interval, and during that week, cable’s share of television climbed to 27.9%. The DNC also contributed to the top cable programs in August, with MSNBC receiving most of the benefits. MSNBC owned the top 11 cable telecasts of the month, and 14 of the top 15. ESPN’s coverage of the Florida State vs. Georgia Tech football matchup snagged the 12th spot. In the end, cable viewing was down 2% from July and finished the month with 26.3% of TV.
After several consecutive remarkable months, the streaming category had a softer month in August from a content perspective, but remained the clear winner overall with 41.0% of TV (down 1%, -0.4 pts.). Only one original program broke into the month’s top 10—The Umbrella Academy on Netflix totaled 3.9 billion viewing minutes—while the rest went to acquired titles including Prison Break, which led the way with 5.4 billion minutes across Netflix and Paramount+. Bluey on Disney+ generated over 4 billion viewing minutes to secure the second most watched streaming title this month. The animated Australian import helped drive an 8% increase for the streamer, as Disney+ reached a platform high of 2.3% of TV in August. Some of the 8% boost can also be attributed to Hulu content available within the Disney+ platform to certain package subscribers.
YouTube won the month among streaming services for the 19th consecutive interval, posting another category and platform best in August with 10.6% of TV. Compared with August 2023, YouTube has the largest year-over-year difference in share for any streaming platform and has added 1.5 points to its share of TV (9.1% to 10.6%). Meanwhile, the overall streaming category has gained 2.7 points YoY and is up 11% versus August 2023.
* The measurement month of August 2024 included four weeks: 07/29/2024 through 08/25/2024. Nielsen measurement weeks run Monday through Sunday.
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CTV AND STREAMING GLOSSARY
Few areas of the media landscape have taken the spotlight over the last year like streaming video has, fueled by increasing consumption and a wealth of new platform and content options. In June 2021, for example, streaming accounted for 27% of total TV time in the U.S., much of which is attributable to the fact that 77% of U.S. homes now have at least one connected device.
Given the growth in consumption and accompanying advertising opportunities, it’s not surprising that 60% of U.S. advertisers say they plan to shift ad dollars from linear TV to either connected TV (CTV) or over-the-top (OTT) this year. But given the breadth of the CTV universe, identifying ad opportunities isn’t always clear, and neither are many of the terms and acronyms that marketers and industry participants use, such as programmatic, CTV, OTT and advanced TV.
This glossary aggregates many of the terms and acronyms used to provide clarity amid a quickly evolving and important space in the broader media industry.
GLOSSARY
Ad Sequencing
Ad serving method where a set of ads are shown in a predefined order i.e. creative B is shown after a user has been exposed to creative A.
Advanced TV
All non-traditional TV. It’s the umbrella term encompassing over the top, connected TV and addressable TV.
AVOD
Ad-supported video-on-demand.
Behavioral Data
Data that represents buying and media consumption actions and habits.
Connected TV
TVs that have access to an internet connection and can stream video content. This can include smart TVs or standard TVs with a connected device (Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, etc.)
Global Frequency Capping
Ad serving feature that ensures a user is only exposed to a certain number of ads within an allotted time period.
Home Screen Ads
Static ads that sit on the home screen. They’re typically a short video or image and can feature a call to action like ‘learn more’.
In-stream Video Ads
15- to 30-second long ads that play before or during the program. They are a clever and cost- effective way to reuse your existing television ads for connected TV.
Incremental Reach
Unique audiences exposed to your ads, beyond those you are reaching via other screens or mediums.
Interactive Pre-Roll Ads
The same as in-stream video ads, except they allow the viewer to click through to a landing page. For example, if you’re advertising a movie, this type of ad could bring the viewer to a page where they could book a ticket.
MVPD
An acronym for Multiple Video Programming Distributor. These companies are content providers that deliver broadcast and cable programming to audiences through traditional means, such as cable boxes and satellite subscriptions. Examples include Comcast, Dish and Cox.
Over-the-Top (OTT)
Streaming services like Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube TV and Disney+ that can be streamed on any internet-connected device without a cable or satellite subscription.
Private Marketplaces (PMPs)
Customizable, invitation-only marketplaces where premium publishers make their inventory available to buyers.
Programmatic TV
Technology-automated and data-driven method of buying and delivering ads on linear TV.
Streaming
Streaming refers to the delivery of audio and video content to a device (phone, tablet, computer, TV) through an internet connection. Streaming content can be delivered wirelessly as well as through a wired connection.
Suppression
Utilize advanced techniques to prevent targeting someone who already bought a product or service.
SVOD
Subscription video-on-demand.
vMVPD
An acronym for Virtual Multiple Video Programming Distributor. These companies are content providers that deliver aggregated live and on-demand video content through an internet connection. Examples include Sling TV, Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, DirecTV Now and fuboTV.
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