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Cable Television Viewership Surges during March Madness amidst a record peak in Streaming Views

TV viewing shifted significantly, with streaming accounts for almost half (43.8%) and traditional broadcast dropping to less than a fifth (20.5%) of total viewing time, according to Nielsen's The Gauge report.

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Traditional TV viewing decreased, with broadcast making up just 20.5%, while streaming services...
Traditional TV viewing decreased, with broadcast making up just 20.5%, while streaming services observed a significant increase accounting for 43.8%, according to Nielsen's The Gauge report.

Cable Television Viewership Surges during March Madness amidst a record peak in Streaming Views

GOING, GOING... GONE? NOT QUITE! - The latest scoop from Nielsen's The Gauge indicates that the NCAA men's basketball tournament had a major hand in boosting cable's traditional March surge, but it was streaming platforms that really stole the show. The Oscars on ABC certainly added some sparkle to the broadcast category, but it was streaming that shone brightest in a highly-competitive March.

However, the total viewing time during March took a 6% dive compared to February, according to The Gauge. Despite this drop, streaming services increased their share of the viewing pie by a substantial 0.3 points, reaching 43.8% of TV usage.

The month was a veritable smorgasbord for streaming enthusiasts. For the first time ever in a monthly Gauge report, the top 10 streaming titles were distributed across no less than seven different platforms. Hulu, Prime Video, Disney+, Max, Paramount+, Netflix, and Apple TV+ all contributed to the streaming spectacle. Interestingly, Max recorded the largest month-over-month increase, riding high on the popularity of "The White Lotus." Meanwhile, YouTube achieved a platform record, fortifying its position as a significant player in the streaming scene.

Sports fans were also spoiled for choice, with cable benefiting from the delightful chaos that is March Madness. Cable clocked in at 24.0% of TV usage, a noteworthy increase, thanks to a 29% uptick in cable sports viewing and another strong showing by cable news viewership. The NCAA Men's Elite Eight games between Alabama-Duke and Texas Tech-Florida on TBS topped the list of the most-watched cable sports telecasts in March. Meanwhile, cable news programs accounted for seven of the top 10 cable telecasts, led by Fox News Channel's coverage of the presidential address to a joint session of Congress, which drew in over 11 million viewers on the network and a staggering 36 million viewers in total.

ABC's The Oscars claimed the title of the most-watched program in March, with a massive 20.3 million viewers across ABC and the simulcast on Hulu. This demonstrates the success of multiplatform distribution, as viewers who streamed "Hollywood's Biggest Night" on Hulu were three times as likely to be between 18-34 and twice as likely to be 35-49 compared with other viewers.

The rest of the broadcast category saw scripted dramas account for 28% of its total viewing in March. Despite stiff competition from several March Madness games, episodes of the CBS drama "Tracker" claimed five spots in the top 10 broadcast telecasts, averaging over 10 million viewers (L+7). Interestingly, the absence of football was notable this month, as broadcast viewership dropped by 9% compared to February.

Nielsen also reported some changes to the way data for several streaming services is aggregated. Paramount+ and Pluto are now represented as "Paramount Streaming," Max and Discovery+ as "Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming," and Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ as "Disney Streaming." These changes are set to take effect from January 2025.

So, it seems that while streaming certainly made its presence felt in March 2025, cable and broadcast networks are not ready to cede their throne just yet. As streaming continues to set records, traditional forms of TV viewing are adjusting to the new normal, with multiplatform strategies becoming increasingly important for media companies. Stay tuned for more updates!

  1. Streaming platforms, such as Hulu, Prime Video, Disney+, Max, Paramount+, Netflix, and Apple TV+, contributed significantly to the viewing pie, increasing their share by 0.3 points, reaching 43.8% of TV usage.
  2. The NCAA Men's Elite Eight games between Alabama-Duke and Texas Tech-Florida on TBS were the most-watched cable sports telecasts in March, showing that sports content remains popular on cable.
  3. ABC's The Oscars was the most-watched program in March, demonstrating the success of multiplatform distribution, as viewers who streamed "Hollywood's Biggest Night" on Hulu were more likely to be younger demographics compared to other viewers.
  4. The broadcast category saw scripted dramas account for 28% of its total viewing in March, with episodes of the CBS drama "Tracker" claiming five spots in the top 10 broadcast telecasts.
  5. As streaming continues to set records, traditional forms of TV viewing, like cable and broadcast networks, are adjusting to the new normal, with multiplatform strategies becoming increasingly important for media companies, preparing for the January 2025 changes in the way data for several streaming services is aggregated.

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