‘Bridgerton’ Leads June Streaming, ‘Your Honor’ a Close Second

“Bridgerton” experienced a significant surge in viewership in June, securing the title of the most-watched show for the month with a staggering 9.3 billion viewing minutes. This achievement marks the second consecutive month that “Bridgerton” has claimed the top spot in streaming viewership. The show’s popularity has greatly contributed to an increase in Netflix’s usage, making it a major driver of the platform’s success. The release of the first four episodes of its third season in May set the stage for its June dominance, attracting a vast audience and generating substantial buzz.

Bryan Cranston’s “Your Honor,” a gripping thriller from 2020 available on both Netflix and Paramount+, emerged as the second most-watched show in June, accumulating 7.5 billion minutes viewed. The series, which ran for two intense seasons, captivated audiences with its compelling storyline and Cranston’s powerful performance. It managed to secure a strong viewership despite the fierce competition, reflecting its enduring appeal and the growing trend of viewers discovering or revisiting older shows on streaming platforms.

In addition to “Your Honor,” other notable shows also captured significant viewership in June. Prime Video’s “The Boys,” a popular superhero series known for its dark and satirical take on the genre, garnered 4 billion minutes viewed. HBO’s epic fantasy series “House of the Dragon,” a prequel to the acclaimed “Game of Thrones,” attracted 3.4 billion minutes. These shows, though trailing behind “Bridgerton” and “Your Honor,” still demonstrated considerable audience engagement, highlighting the diverse range of content appealing to streaming audiences.

The 9.3 billion minutes that viewers dedicated to “Bridgerton” in June exceeded any other most-streamed monthly title this year, with “Your Honor” securing second place. Prime Video’s “Fallout,” the top show of April, held the third-highest monthly viewership this year with 7 billion minutes in a single month. This impressive performance underscores the significant impact that new releases and highly anticipated series can have on viewership numbers, drawing in audiences in large numbers.

“Bridgerton” had released the first four episodes of its third season in May, also dominating that month’s streaming charts with 5.5 billion viewing minutes. This early release helped build momentum leading into June, maintaining high viewer interest and engagement. Netflix, hosting two of the most-watched shows, increased its TV usage share to 8.4% in June, up from 7.6% in May. This rise in usage underscores Netflix’s strategic advantage in releasing compelling content that resonates with a wide audience.

Despite Netflix’s gains, YouTube remained the most-used streaming service, accounting for 8.8% of all TV usage in June. Hulu followed with a 3.5% share, and Prime Video with 3.2%. These figures highlight the competitive landscape of streaming services, where multiple platforms vie for viewer attention, each with its unique content offerings and strategic advantages.

The share of TV usage dedicated to streaming content in May reached 40.3%, the highest recorded by Nielsen. This broke the previous record of 38.8% in May, driven by a 16% increase in viewership among children aged 2 to 11. The rise in streaming usage can be largely attributed to the growing popularity of kid-friendly content and the increasing tendency for families to turn to streaming platforms for entertainment.

Broadcast and cable viewership declined in June despite notable events such as the NBA finals and the first presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Broadcast TV’s share dropped to 20.5% from 22.3% in May, even though the NBA Finals games were the top five broadcasts of the month. Other top broadcasts included ABC’s simulcast of the presidential debate, Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals, and the women’s gymnastics Olympic Trials on NBC, which drew 7.4 million viewers. These high-profile events, while drawing substantial audiences, were not enough to counterbalance the overall trend towards streaming.

Cable viewership also saw a decline, falling from 28.2% in May to 27.2% in June. This was despite the presidential debate’s impressive performance, attracting 10 million viewers to CNN and 9.5 million to Fox News. The decline in cable viewership highlights the shifting preferences of audiences towards on-demand streaming services, even in the face of significant live events that traditionally draw large audiences to broadcast and cable TV.