In this photo illustration, the logos of media service providers, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney + and Hulu are displayed on the screen of a tablet on Nov.
20, 2019, in Paris, France. (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images) NEW YORK - This summer has been a breakthrough for streaming, with the time viewers spent watching services like Netflix and Hulu outpacing broadcast and cable television networks in July for the first month ever.Viewers spent 35% of their time with streamers, 34% on cable networks and 22% watching broadcast television last month, the Nielsen company said Thursday.
Video on demand or DVD playback accounted for much of the other time.RELATED: Watch LiveNOW from FOX, a non-stop stream of breaking news, live events and stories across the USJuly is an unusual month — broadcast TV is essentially on vacation with little live sports or scripted programming and a prime-time schedule clogged with game shows — but it's a clear indication of how rapidly the business is changing."It was inevitable," said David Bianculli, professor of television studies at Rowan University and critic on NPR's "Fresh Air." "I knew it had to happen, but I didn't know it would happen as quickly as it did."Viewers can watch anything from retro TV shows to Hollywood blockbusters, all completely free.Streaming's audience share in July was up 23% compared to July 2021, Nielsen said.
Broadcast television's share was down 10% and cable down 9%.Streaming services learned from what cable did in its infancy, using broadcasting's quiet summer months to put forward some of their best programming, said Brian Fuhrer, Nielsen's senior vice president for product strategy and thought leadership.