Americans spent more of their July TV-viewing time streaming content on services such as Netflix, YouTube and HBO Max than they did watching cable television, according to Nielsen data, marking the first month that streaming has overtaken cable.
Streaming services captured 34.8% of total U.S. TV viewing time during the month, while cable TV attracted 34.4%, the ratings company said in a release published Thursday. People spent 23% more time streaming content than a year earlier and 9% less time watching cable, Nielsen found, a sign of streaming’s continued ascent while more Americans cut the pay-TV cord.