Americans change their habits and distance themselves from traditional cable TV.
In July, for the first time in history, they spent more time enjoying the contents of streaming services than watching cable programs.
The great overtaking, certified by Nielsen data, had been in the air for months and confirms a trend that has been going on for some time: the escape from traditional television subscriptions, also thanks to inflation that forces Americans to review and cut spending.
Streaming last month captured 34.8% of the time spent in front of the small screen compared to 34.4% for cable TV.
For Netflix, Disney + and their sisters, this is an important figure that bodes well for an increasingly aggressive competition landscape.
In fact, the time spent in front of the streaming rose by as much as 22.6% in July.
The leap was accompanied by a 9.8% drop in the time spent watching traditional cable TV, in which the big networks are encountering many difficulties.
This is the case of CNN which, according to some estimates, will see its profit fall below the psychological threshold of 1 billion dollars this year for the first time since 2016.
Among the streaming services in July, the lion's share was played by Prime Video from Amazon, Netflix, Hulu and YouTube, with Netflix queen thanks to the hit series 'Stranger Things'.
Meanwhile, the giant founded by Jeff Bezos is pushing the accelerator of its entertainment division, considered key for Prime subscribers, and is on the hunt for a super manager for its Amazon Studios.
According to rumors he would have had contacts with Scott Stuber, manager of the film division of Netflix and one of the most powerful in the sector, but also with the former Paramount Pictures Emma Waters.
To weigh on cable TV in July, the month of the great overtaking, was the absence of major sporting events.
In the coming weeks, the resumption of the NFL should help traditional TV regain ground.
Despite this, the Nielsen surveys indicate a significant change in trends, accentuated by an expensive life that leaves no breath and forces Americans to 'cut the cord', give up traditional TV subscriptions.
Cheaper and more flexible, streaming services offer a wide choice and original content at prices that, while increasing, do not come close to those of the cable.
