Not that we need any more evidence that stay at home orders across the nation have led to an rise in streaming, but if you want a display of just how big it’s been, take a look at these numbers.
In several major markets across America, streaming has nearly doubled from the beginning of March. When you consider the massive size of some of the cities that saw the biggest increase, that’s a striking rise in streaming.
Just how much of an effect has coronavirus had on streaming? Let’s dive in. For purposes of this study, total streaming on internet connected devices for the week of March 23 was compared to the week of March 2.
This data comes from Nielsen, a marketing research firm that’s been around since 1923 and is probably the most respected name in the television consumption data.
Portland, Oregon saw the biggest increase with a whopping 95% uptick. Chicago was next at 85% with Denver in third place at 78%, New York in fourth with 74% and St. Louis finishing the top 5 at 72%.
The majority of areas on this list saw about 40% to 50% more streaming, and while Jacksonville, Fla. saw the smallest bump at 18%, that’s still quite a bit more than just a few weeks before.
Nielsen also provided some data about when people are streaming most and what ages are watching more. Since most adults are home these days, the early afternoon time slot saw the biggest increase at 60%. The primetime slot still saw plenty of action, but saw the least gains.
The age group that saw the biggest jump? The youngest viewers, aged 2 to 17 was 60%. That makes a lot of sense considering schools are closed across the U.S. The group that saw the smallest gains? Viewers 55 and older.
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