October witnessed a surge in broadcast viewing due to a rise in sports and drama programming

In October, the television landscape saw a mix of familiar favourites and new trends, with streaming services continuing to hold a strong grip on viewer attention, while traditional broadcast and cable channels also experienced growth.

The measurement period for October ran for four weeks from Sept. 30 through Oct. 27, following the usual Nielsen weeks which run from Monday to Sunday.

Streaming giant Netflix dominated the month, with "Love Is Blind" being the most-watched streaming title, amassing a staggering 4.4 billion viewing minutes. The platform still holds the top five streaming originals for the month, marking a 4% decrease in viewership, accounting for 7.5% of TV viewership (down 0.4 share points).

On the other hand, traditional broadcast channels saw a surge in popularity. NFL games were the most-watched shows on broadcast, with Fox's Week 7 Kansas City Chiefs-San Francisco 49ers game on Oct. 20 drawing the largest audience. The World Series opener on Fox Oct. 25 was the 17th most-watched show on broadcast, indicating a strong interest in sports programming.

Cable viewership also saw a significant boost, with a 5% gain in news viewing and a 52% boost in sports viewing. Year-over-year, cable news was up 17% compared to October 2023, while cable sports was up 14%. Fox News Channel's vice presidential debate coverage was the second most-watched cable telecast in October, drawing 7.9 million viewers. ESPN's Chiefs-New Orleans Saints "Monday Night Football" game on Oct. 7 was the most-watched cable telecast, further emphasising the appeal of sports programming.

Interestingly, October marked the third consecutive month of growth for the broadcast category, with a total increase of 3.7 share points. Cable viewing accounted for 26.3% of total TV usage in October, with a 0.2 pt. increase compared to the previous month.

The Roku Channel saw a 12% increase and gained 0.2 share points, finishing the month at 1.8% of television viewership, a new high for the FAST service. In the "Sports" category, the TV channel that achieved the highest viewer share was Sat.1, reaching up to 31.4 percent market share during a Bundesliga football match between FC Bayern München and RB Leipzig.

Drama programs saw a 29% increase in viewership, while sports viewership rose by 10%, suggesting a growing interest in both entertaining and competitive content.

The increase in news viewing can be attributed to the Oct. 1 vice presidential debate and monthlong coverage leading up to Election Day. This indicates that viewers are still engaged with political news, despite the election being over.

In conclusion, October was a month of growth and dominance for streaming services, while traditional broadcast and cable channels also saw a resurgence in viewership. The data suggests that viewers are increasingly turning to a mix of streaming and traditional TV content, creating a dynamic and evolving television landscape.