Netflix is Causing Television Ratings to Plummet

Netflix.com

Netflix has been a juggernaut in the world of streaming, and has become a major frontrunner in exclusive programming. Now, news comes from Variety, that Netflix has officially begun to affect television rating numbers in a major way.

In a recent study, done by Michael Nathanson of MoffettNathanson, Netflix has begun to gain ground on the big television networks. According to the study, in 2015 Netflix has assisted in declining the overall television viewing time in the United States by 3%. The streaming giant is directly responsible for half of that decline.

Netflix.com
Netflix gains viewership numbers.

Last year the streaming services subscribers tallied 29 billion hours of video play, 6% of the total American Live+7 TV viewing reported by Nielsen. According to the study, Nathanson predicts that should Netflix continue on their current trend, they will capture 14% of the viewership by 2020. Netflix has 74.8 M streaming customers worldwide, and gaining more everyday. 44.7 M of those subscribers live in the United States.

The television networks have their hands full, with streaming television taking center stage, in the war for viewership numbers. The big question on everyone’s mind, is whether the networks will be able to keep up with the streaming giants ability to snag better exclusive programming.

Netflix.com
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Netflix is hitting its stride with shows like Daredevil, Sense8, BoJack Horseman, and House of Cards proving to be unshakeable. These shows give the viewers what they are wanting, which is something that the networks cannot give the public. These shows are uncensored, and have an edge that newer television audiences are craving. Amazon Prime has begun its assault on the television viewership as well, securing its own batch of exclusive programming, with titles like Bosch, Hand of God, and Man in the High Castle. Will streaming television take over as the primary way that people view their favorite shows? Time will only tell.

[display-posts posts_per_page=”5″ orderby=”title”]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *