NFL and NCAA Football Boost Multiplatform Viewing
The return of football in September led to a significant increase in television viewership, impacting the media landscape. According to Nielsen's Media Distributor Gauge report, YouTube maintained its top position with 12.9% of total TV watch-time.
Disney narrowed the gap with YouTube, capturing 10.7% of the share, a 2.1-point increase from the 4.0-point difference in July. The competition among NBCU, Netflix, FOX, and Paramount intensified, with less than a 1-point difference.
These massive football audiences also provide broadcasters the opportunity to promote new, non-sports content slates.
Author's summary: Football drives TV viewership spike.