It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that streaming viewership has increased quite a bit due to the social distancing and self-isolation guidelines being followed during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. What else are people going to do if they can’t go to bars, sporting events, concerts, or the movie theater? Read a book? Paint a picture? Learn a language? Ha! We’re going to stream “Bob’s Burgers,” obviously.
According to a Nielsen study (via Variety), streaming viewership rose 85% over the first three weeks of March, as compared to the same time in 2019, largely due to people staying indoors. And looking at March 2020, in particular, streaming numbers for the week beginning on March 16 rose 22% compared to the week before, meaning that more and more people are staying indoors and enjoying their online content. It’s also important to note that Nielsen only captures data as it pertains to TV watching and doesn’t include folks who view things on their phones, tablets, or computers.
So, what are people watching during this lockdown? Well, in the case of Hulu, the streaming platform says people are returning to some of popular sitcoms of the past, animated shows, and other general favorites. Basically, people are looking for those fun, easy-to-binge choices that will help alleviate the stress of a global pandemic.
According to Hulu (via Deadline), the top choices for people right now include “Bob’s Burgers,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “This is Us,” “Law and Order: SVU,” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” Also, the streamer says that the most-watched program is the recently-released “Little Fires Everywhere,” starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, proving that people are still really interested in new content, as well as their old favorites. Hulu also says binge-watching (at least three or more episodes of a series in a single viewing) has increased by 25% over the past two weeks versus the two weeks prior.
Long story short, you’re not weird for wanting to watch reruns of your favorite sitcoms during this time. We all are doing that. And while streaming services are probably really enjoying this increased viewership, I’m sure we can all agree that we hope it ends sooner rather than later. How many times can you watch the same episodes of “The Office” or “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” before you want to slam your head into a wall?
