Media Consumption Plateau: US consumer media consumption has plateaued for the first time, hovering around 12 hours and 42 minutes daily across all channels, according to eMarketer. This marks a significant shift from the previous trend of constant growth.
Why this matters and key takeaways:
- Zero-Sum Game: Growth in digital media consumption is now directly offset by declines in traditional media (TV, radio, print). Consumers are reallocating their time, not adding more. This is a fundamental change from previous years where digital growth outpaced traditional decline.
- Digital Stagnation/Decline: Some major digital categories, including social media, digital gaming, and digital audio, are showing signs of stagnation or even decline in time spent, a historically unusual trend.
- Netflix’s First Decline: Netflix experienced its first-ever decline in average daily time spent per user in 2024 (a 1.5% drop). This is partially attributed to new subscribers (especially those on the ad-supported tier) watching less than established users.
- FAST Services Surge: Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services (e.g., Tubi, Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus) are the fastest-growing video format. Average daily time spent with FAST services among US adults is nearly double what it was in 2021 (now at 19 minutes, and 51 minutes for actual FAST users).
- Reddit’s Social Media Exception: Unlike the overall trend of social media stagnation, Reddit is experiencing significant growth in user engagement. Time spent on Reddit by US users is projected to reach 34 minutes daily and capture 10% of total social media time by next year.
- Cord Cutting Continues: Viewers seek more inexpensive streaming content. Cable is too expensive, and so is digital pay TV.
Overall Trend shift: The dynamic of consistent growth in media is over. There is now competition between the different sources of media for attention. These trends must be considered as part of a 2025 strategic approach for every brand and media plan as consumers choose to spend their time differently vs. years and months past.
