Building on Industry-Defining The Gauge™, New Insight Shows Total Cross-Platform View of Audience Engagement by Media Company

Disney Tops April Media Distributor Gauge, Claiming 11.5% of Time Spent Watching TV

Nielsen introduces The Media Distributor Gauge, providing an unprecedented cross-platform analysis of TV consumption across major distributors. This innovative insight complements The Gauge™ report for April 2024, offering a holistic view of TV viewing habits amidst evolving content landscapes.

1. The Media Distributor Gauge Overview:

   • Nielsen's new insight aggregates total TV consumption across broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms.
   • The report removes siloes between traditional television and streaming, offering a level playing field for all content distributors.

2. Methodology and Insights:

   • Nielsen maps national media distributors to parent companies, calculating total minutes viewed for each network's services.
   • Top performers in the inaugural report include Disney, YouTube, NBCUniversal, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery.

3. The Gauge™ Snapshot for April 2024:

   • April witnessed record-breaking viewership, driven by events like the NCAA women's basketball tournament and Amazon Prime Video's Fallout.
   • Cable experienced a monthly increase in share, buoyed by sports coverage, while broadcast and streaming saw slight declines.

4. Key Viewing Categories:

   • Cable viewing surged with a 28% increase in sports coverage, notably from the NCAA basketball tournament and NBA playoffs.
   • Broadcast faced a 3% decline, with women's sports providing a bright spot, especially the NCAA women's basketball championship game.
   • Streaming saw a minor dip, with Amazon Prime Video's Fallout driving significant viewership growth, alongside YouTube's continued dominance.

5. Evolving Trends:

   • Cable and broadcast continue to face year-over-year declines, while streaming maintains its dominance in total television share.
   • Amazon Prime Video emerges as a key player with substantial viewership growth, fueled by successful original programming.

Nielsen's Media Distributor Gauge revolutionizes TV consumption analysis, offering a comprehensive view across broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms. With insights from top performers and key trends in April 2024, the report underscores the evolving landscape of TV viewing and the importance of cross-platform measurement in understanding audience behaviors.