Streaming platforms YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime reach unprecedented viewership highs in December, according to Nielsen.
Streaming Hits New High During December 2024 Holidays
During the December 2024 holiday period, streaming viewership reached an all-time high of 43.4% of total TV usage, according to Nielsen's The Gauge report. This marks a 9% increase over November 2024 and continues a strong upward trend in streaming consumption.
Streaming platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and YouTube all hit record viewing levels during this time. Netflix, in particular, accounted for 8.5% of total TV viewing in December, tying its platform-best share mark set in July 2023.
Netflix was among the top streaming platforms contributing strongly to this growth with multiple hit titles commanding billions of viewing minutes. Shows like Ginny & Georgia, Animal Kingdom, Blindspot, and Squid Game (season 3) attracted massive viewing minutes and drove Netflix’s viewer share growth.
Prime Video also saw success with titles like "Red One," which accumulated over 5.6 billion viewing minutes, and "Beast Games," which garnered over 700 million viewing minutes across its first three episodes.
Other platforms such as Peacock also experienced notable increases linked to popular shows like Love Island USA.
In addition to streaming, broadcast networks and cable also saw changes in viewership during this period. Broadcast viewing accounted for 22.4% of total TV viewing, while cable held a 23.8% share.
Broadcast networks experienced an 18% dip in scripted drama viewership during the holiday season, but December saw a 17% increase in sports viewership for broadcast and a 29% increase for cable. This was due to various NFL, college bowl games, and the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Cable also experienced a 18% increase in feature-film viewing, but had a 27% drop in cable news due to the end of the presidential election cycle.
YouTube viewing increased by 7% and accounted for a record 11.1% share of TV usage.
Overall viewing increased by 4% month-over-month in December. Combined, broadcast and cable accounted for 46.2% of TV viewing, while streaming accounted for 43.4%.
The six most-watched telecasts of the month were on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. This data highlights the continued dominance and expanding footprint of streaming platforms in total TV viewership during the December 2024 holidays as per Nielsen's The Gauge reports.
[1] Nielsen. (2025). The Gauge: December 2024. [online] Available at: https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2025/the-gauge-december-2024/ [2] Nielsen. (2025). The Gauge: June 2025. [online] Available at: https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2025/the-gauge-june-2025/ [3] Nielsen. (2025). The Gauge: Early 2025. [online] Available at: https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2025/the-gauge-early-2025/ [4] Nielsen. (2025). The Gauge: Top Streaming Titles. [online] Available at: https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2025/the-gauge-top-streaming-titles/ [5] Nielsen. (2025). The Gauge: Bluey. [online] Available at: https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2025/the-gauge-bluey/
- The surge in streaming viewership during the December 2024 holidays was reflected in the record viewing levels of platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and YouTube, showcasing the growing influence of media technology on entertainment.
- In the month of December 2024, Netflix's share of total TV viewing reached 8.5%, tying its platform-best share mark set in July 2023, attributed partly to the success of hit titles such as Ginny & Georgia, Animal Kingdom, Blindspot, and Squid Game (season 3).
- YouTube viewing increased by 7% and accounted for a record 11.1% share of TV usage during the December 2024 holiday period, demonstrating the rising popularity of video content streaming on the platform.
- As per Nielsen's The Gauge reports, streaming platforms played a significant role in the total TV viewership during the December 2024 holidays, accounting for 43.4% of TV usage, while shows like "Red One," "Beast Games," and "Love Island USA" contributed to the growth in streaming consumption across different platforms.
