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Nielsen Media Research has released the October edition of its Media Distributor Gauge, a monthly cross-platform analysis of the total television consumption compiled by media companies. This past month, FOX utilized its multiplatform television presence across its linear networks to earn an 8.4% share, marking the second consecutive month in which the company has attained the largest monthly increase among distributors. FOX garnered a 16% rise in overall viewing in October, resulting in a 1.1-point gain and fifth-place finish.
The network televised games throughout the Major League Baseball postseason during the month, including the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Viewership of the Fall Classic finished with an average of 15.8 million consumers per contest across FOX platforms, representing a 67% increase from the championship matchup in the year prior. FOX also continues to broadcast a slate of National Football League games, which will culminate with its presentation of Super Bowl LIX from New Orleans, La.
Viewership of FS1 proliferated by 260%, primarily because of its presentation of NLCS games, while the FOX News Channel realized a 12% viewership increase on the month. The company also had a 2.5% lift in viewing on Tubi, its owned free ad-supported streaming television service.
The Walt Disney Company maintained its position as the media company with the largest share of total television usage in October, accruing 11.7% of the total. Disney added 0.4 share points from September, helped by a 7% increase in viewing of ABC broadcast affiliates due to the NFL, college football and ABC World News Tonight. ESPN accumulated an 8% increase with its viewership, the largest gain among cable networks at Disney, that was driven by football and baseball broadcasts.
Out of the 14 media companies listed on the Media Distributor Gauge, nine of them have demonstrated monthly shifts up or down by one-tenth of a share point. The Roku Channel is an exception in this regard, notching a 12% monthly augmentation that burgeoned its overall television share to 1.8%.
YouTube maintained its 10.6% share from September to finish second on the chart, while NBCUniversal fell by one-tenth of a share, nonetheless retaining its No. 3 ranking at 9.2%. Paramount maintained its fourth position and also gained half a share in the process as the company nears the close of a two-step transaction that will result in a merger with Skydance Media to create “New Paramount.”
