For 1st month ever, streamers rule broadcast, cable networks

By DAVID BAUDER
AP Media Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — This summer has been a breakthrough for streaming. In July, for the first month ever, the time viewers spent watching services like Netflix and Hulu outpaced viewership of broadcast and cable television networks. The Nielsen company says viewers spent 35% of their time with streamers, 34% on cable networks and 22% watching broadcast television last month, July is traditionally an unusual month with broadcast TV essentially on vacation, but the numbers make it clear how rapidly the business is changing. Broadcast is likely to gain more traction with the return of football and fresh scripted shows this fall, but experts say streaming is the future and in many ways, it has already arrived.