Historically, advertisers and networks relied on short-term metrics — especially seven-day ratings — to evaluate performance. But with streaming habits evolving, Nielsen now confirms that a significant portion of viewership occurs well after the first week, particularly for shows available on streaming platforms.
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Streaming can grow a show’s audience by 40–50% over five weeks.
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In some cases, audiences nearly double from initial linear numbers thanks to delayed and on-demand consumption.
This shift underscores that the traditional seven-day window is no longer sufficient for measuring a show’s total impact.
Streaming Keeps Momentum Alive Beyond Week One
While about 90% of linear TV viewing still happens within the first seven days, streaming platforms tell a different story. Viewership on platforms like Hulu, Peacock, or network-owned apps continues at a high rate well beyond day eight.
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On average, shows in the top 20 gain:
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1.94M viewers from streaming in the first 7 days.
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An additional 1.48M viewers from days 8–35.
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In contrast, linear delayed viewing after day 7 adds just 679K viewers.
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This means 43% of a show’s 35-day streaming audience arrives after the first week, compared to just 8.5% for linear delayed viewing.
Breakout Streaming Hits of the 2024–25 Season
Leading the pack this season was ABC’s High Potential, starring Kaitlin Olson. It amassed 7.94M streaming viewers over 35 days, nearly 50% of its total 16.14M viewership across platforms. Other strong performers in long-tail streaming included:
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Matlock – 5.5M streaming
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The Rookie – 4.69M
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Shifting Gears – 4.51M
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9-1-1 – 4.17M
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Ghosts – 4.16M
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Will Trent – 3.78M
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Interestingly, Tracker, the most-watched broadcast series overall, had the second-highest streaming numbers at 5.53M, accounting for just under 32% of its total viewership.
Underdogs That Surged With Time
Some series that didn’t make a strong initial showing saw significant growth by day 35:
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Abbott Elementary climbed from a seven-day audience below FBI: Most Wanted to 8.78M total.
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Law & Order: SVU similarly rose to 8.68M, surpassing Most Wanted (8.43M) in the five-week window.
These results demonstrate how delayed streaming can transform performance rankings, spotlighting shows with strong word-of-mouth and binge appeal.
The Future of TV Ratings
With more granular long-term data finally available, networks, advertisers, and creators can adapt strategies to reflect how people really watch TV today. Streaming not only sustains a show’s momentum but increasingly defines its total reach.
