2023 was an interesting year for entertainment and media.
When it comes to the big screen, there’s no way to sugarcoat how last year went for big theatrical releases: It was bad.
(And 2024 isn’t exactly getting off to a rip-roaring start, either).
On the small screen? It’s a tad bit more complicated, at least according to a year-in-review analysis from Nielsen.
At its face, it looks like television (which would include both cable and streaming) had an absolute boom period last year.
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Just look at Nielsen’s utterly absurd and mind-bending opening salvo: “Americans streamed 21 million years’ worth of content last year.”
Twenty-one. Million. Years. And yes, that’s a bump over last year.
Nielsen noted, “In 2023, U.S. audiences streamed 21 million years’ worth of video, an incredible 21% increase from the 17 million years worth they streamed in 2022.”
By those numbers, it certainly seems like the small screen had an incredible 2023… until you dig a little deeper.
Are you a fan of any of 2023’s top ten most watched shows?
As Nielsen points out, the large bulk of streaming minutes viewed came from older shows.
Now, in fairness to television in 2023, the various strikes that rocked Hollywood obviously messed with the amount of original content being released.
Nielsen acknowledged that as well, but even given that caveat, it’s hard to deny that audiences had an overwhelming preference for older shows.
Here are the top 10 most streamed shows of 2023, along with how many minutes that it’s been watched last year:
- “Suits”: 57.7 billion minutes viewed
- “Bluey”: 43.9 billion minutes
- “NCIS”: 39.4 billion minutes
- “Grey’s Anatomy”: 38.6 billion minutes
- “Cocomelon”: 36.3 billion minutes
- “The Big Bang Theory”: 27.8 billion minutes
- “Gilmore Girls”: 25.2 billion minutes
- “Friends”: 25 billion minutes
- “Heartland”: 22.8 billion minutes
- “Supernatural”: 22.8 billion minutes
Let’s break that list down.
“NCIS” is a police procedural with approximately a billion offshoots, so it’s no surprise that it’s cracked this list. And who doesn’t love a good procedural?
“Bluey” and “Cocomelon” are children’s programs, so take those viewing totals with a grain of salt. Speaking from experience, I’ve let “Bluey” run on after my kid falls asleep while watching it.
The only two episodic shows still active — and without an absurd number of spin-offs — are “Grey’s Anatomy” (and we know hospital dramas can go on forever like “ER”) and “Heartland” (as someone married to a “horse person,” don’t even get me started on that cult and their abject devotion to all things equine).
That’s effectively two current shows being heavily streamed last year. It goes without saying that that’s not great.
And to further highlight the dominance of classic television in the streaming sphere, look at how original streaming shows (shows built specifically for a streaming platform) and streaming movies did last year.
When it comes to original streaming shows, “Ted Lasso” topped the list with an impressive — but notably lesser — 16.9 billion minutes viewed. No other original streaming show cracked 15 billion minutes viewed last year.
When it comes to streaming movies, Disney’s 2016 hit “Moana” topped viewership minutes with 11.6 billion minutes viewed. No other streaming movie topped 10 billion minutes viewed.
Combining the total viewership minutes of “Ted Lasso” and “Moana” brings you to 28.5 billion.
That’s less than half the total minutes viewed of “Suits,” a show that ended nearly four years ago.
Now, to add some much-needed context, “Suits” obviously has many more minutes to watch given that it’s a serialized show that lasted for eight years.
But it’s hard to look at those viewership totals above and not notice the distinct and overwhelming preference for older, serialized shows.
Only time will tell if 2024 can reverse that trend and get some modernized shows some viewership numbers… but that’s not looking great.
