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In-Depth

Data and Analytics: Viewership disruption

According to a recent analysis conducted by Nielsen, three primary drivers of declined viewership across sporting events since play resumed are interconnected and worth monitoring entering 2021. These factors include:

Lower television usage, particularly among younger demographics, due to continued fragmentation of media.

Reduced sports viewership among light/medium viewers (based on total viewer minutes).

One of the most crowded news cycles of all time.

Although more sports were available for consumption this fall, only avid viewers exercised pre-pandemic levels of viewership. Many viewers abandoned sports to follow news around the election, COVID-19 and social unrest. Viewers also were streaming more SVOD programming (e.g., Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc.) than ever before.

While the data show sports have made up a lower than expected share of viewership considering the available content, the end of the election cycle and progression toward the country reopening leaves networks and executives hopeful that light/medium viewers will return to pre-pandemic tune-in levels. The news cycle will most likely slow down this year. However, heightened SVOD viewership may pose the biggest threat to a ratings recovery in 2021 and over the long term. — W.C.

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