Fall sporting events and the launch of the U.S. broadcast season helped to reshape Nielsen’s Media Distributor Gauge for October, even as the top three in the rankings remained unchanged: YouTube, Disney and NBCUniversal.
YouTube remains out front with 12.9 percent of total TV, up 4 percent, driven by kids and teens in October.
Disney had the largest share increase, rising to 11.4 percent, with overall viewership rising by 7 percent. There was growth across linear and streaming; ESPN and ABC affiliates each saw a 9 percent viewing increase, while Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ delivered a 7 percent gain.
NBCUniversal was in third with an 8.6 percent share, followed by FOX (8.4 percent), Paramount (8.2 percent) and Netflix at 8 percent. Like Disney, FOX and Paramount benefited from sports coverage. Similarly, Warner Bros. Discovery benefited from the MLB Playoffs in October, helping to power its 5.6 percent share.
The largest increase in watch time came courtesy of Hallmark, with viewership up 11 percent compared to September. Hallmark climbed from 13th to 12th in the distributor rankings.
