TVB, the trade association of America’s local broadcast television industry, today issued this statement in response to Nielsen’s July 2023 Gauge Report.

“The Gauge Report provides a monthly view of the content and programming that audiences are watching on a television screen, including broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. However, The Gauge doesn’t provide the key data needed by advertisers. Specifically, The Gauge’s streaming numbers include ALL SVOD subscribers – those who do and don’t receive ads – and for most SVOD platforms subscribers viewing ads are a far smaller segment of the overall total viewing,” said Steve Lanzano, TVB President and CEO.

Lanzano continued, “For example, The Gauge’s July 2023 report shows Netflix representing 8% of total U.S. viewing. However, last month it was reported that Netflix stated that 1.5 million of its U.S. subscribers can view commercials, which approximates just 2-3% of its U.S. subscribers. So, while streaming TV viewing is prevalent, an overwhelming majority of streaming viewers don’t see commercials. Advertisers need these facts when considering streaming media investments.”