Television audiences surge to 12-month highs as coronavirus keeps Americans home
From family drama “This Is Us” to crime series “NCIS,” audiences are flocking to television shows in numbers unseen for up to a year as coronavirus shutdowns, and social distancing keeps millions of Americans at home.
Police action series “NCIS” scored its biggest audience since February 2019 on Tuesday night, drawing in some 13.08 million audiences – a 22% boost over its last original broadcast on March 10, CBS ( VIACA.O) stated on Wednesday.
The Tuesday night season finale of heart-tugging NBC ( CMCSA.O) series “This Is Us” was the most-watched episode since September 2019 and saw a 21% boost in audiences aged 18-49 over the previous week, NBC stated.
Audiences for the big four U.S. television networks – ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC – have been declining in recent years due to intense competition from streaming, esports, and social media.
U.S. cinema and Broadway theaters have been closed down for practically two weeks, and multiple U.S. states have bought the closure of restaurants, bars, amusement parks,s and concert venues in a bid to contain the coronavirus epidemic. There are now more than 60,000 cases in the United States and more than 880 deaths.
Streaming service Netflix Inc ( NFLX.O) was also anticipated to be a significant recipient of them remain at home instructions. Netflix’s primary material officer Ted Sarandos informed CNN on Sunday that seeing was up; however, he provided no information. Netflix on Wednesday declined to comment on current viewership.
Nevertheless, numerous shows on a standard television, consisting of “The Good Doctor” on ABC ( DIS.N), “The Masked Singer” on Fox ( FOXA.O), and “Survivor” on CBS are likewise seeing a surge in audiences, according to rankings information.
Data analytics business Nielsen stated in a report recently that Americans are anticipated to watch as much as 60% more television throughout all platforms as significantly limiting shutdowns are executed throughout the United States.
The boosts are not simply for an escapist fare. Sunday’s topical news show “60 Minutes” reached 10.9 million audiences. It’s the biggest audience because December 2019, CBS stated.
Cable channel HBO sees boosts for shows like sci-fi series “Westworld” and for older fare like teen series “Euphoria.”
Time spent on the HBO Now streaming service since March 14 was up over 40% from a month prior, while daily binge viewing increased 65% compared to the previous four-week period, according to WarnerMedia ( T.N).
The post Television audiences surge to 12-month highs as coronavirus keeps Americans home appeared first on World Weekly News.