Netflix, YouTube among winners as US streaming soars

Tiger King

Netflix and YouTube viewing in the US has soared since the Covid-19 outbreak, according to the latest findings from a new report.

Comscore has said that OTT streaming has significantly increased across connected TV’s (CTV) and streaming devices in the weeks since the World Health Organisation declared the illness to be a pandemic.

In terms of app usage, the ‘big four’ – Tiger King streamer Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu – made up over 85% of all time watched in the US for March 1-16.

Netflix was the clear favourite with 37%, followed by YouTube at 21%, Amazon Prime Video at 16% and Hulu at 12%. The category of ‘others’ – including the likes of CBS All Access, HBO Now and Disney+ – saw a total of 12% of all OTT streaming hours in the US.

The research also found that connected TV and streaming boxes/sticks have registered significant year-over-year growth for March.

Comparing the period of March 1-16 for both 2019 and 2020, streaming boxes and sticks made up 56% of OTT streaming hours, while CTVs accounted for 32%. CTV viewership increased by 29% year-over-year while streaming stick viewership increased by 43%.

The story was inverted for total OTT hours viewed, with CTVs registering a year-over-year uptick of 24% while streaming sticks saw growth of 16%.

Bill Livek, CEO of Comscore, said: “Comscore’s latest information shows that the millions of Americans who are remaining indoors to comply with Coronavirus public health measures are hungry for news and entertainment, and streaming options are an increasingly important piece of the consumption pie along with traditional TV.

“Advertisers who are looking to pivot their planning to match the rapidly-changing media consumption landscape can benefit from engaging with these growing audiences.”