Streaming Beats Cable For The First Time

For the first time (but to be honest, I thought this has been happening) since Nielsen began tracking these figures, streaming has beat cable TV in the United States, making up 40.3% of all TV usage last month. This beat the record that was held by cable which was 40.1% of TV usage in June of 2021. A lot of people are giving credit to what they are calling the "Bridgerton" effect. 

I have to be honest, I haven't had any desire to watch "Bridgerton" until now. I guess I am far behind the ball. "Bridgerton" is a drama series that streams on Netflix and has totally gotten everyone hooked. They say it's the storylines, the great cast, and well... The love scenes. The show's popularity has played a big role in boosting Neftlix's viewership. Netflix is, no secret, one of the most-watched streaming services. According to MorningBrew, last month, Netflix alone accounted for 8.4% of all TV viewership. But they still get beat by YouTube's 9.9%.

Seeing the spike in streaming activity is also probably tied to summertime and the kids are out of school. Younger audiences stream everything! I know this because of both my 16-year-old and 5-year-old. Do they even know what cable is? I tell you, they won't ever have to watch the commercials we had to watch growing up. The kids don't have to. There is a big increase in streaming usage for viewers aged 17 and younger. Makes total sense. 

This just goes to prove that cable is dying. I can't tell you the last time I turned on the TV to watch a cable channel. If I want news I get it on their websites or social media, if I want sports I stream it on YouTube TV. Viewers aren't bound to certain times and days now. Instead, we can choose what to watch and when to watch it. 

I guess this is just the beginning even though I thought we were already knee-deep. Steaming is taking over surely and I am about to start watching Bridgerton because now I have FOMO. 

With summer in full swing, the temperatures are getting hot, but these new titles coming to streaming in July 2024 are even hotter.

Streaming giant Netflix has a few new seasons of beloved series dropping on the streamer this month, as well as a new show. Fans of Vikings will see the third and final season of Vikings: Valhalla, due to drop on July 11th. The saga continues with Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter), Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett), and Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Frida Gustavsson). Although it’s the final season, fans will also meet two new characters: Maniakes (Florian Munteanu), a fearless Byzantine general who answers only to the Emir, and Erik the Red (Goran Višnjić), Leif and Freydís’ father. The historical fiction series, which premiered in 2021, follows how tension arises between the Vikings and the English in the early 11th century, inspired by characters in Norse mythology.

A week later, Cobra Kai drops Season 6, divided into three parts to complete the series. On July 18th, the first five episodes of part one will be released all at once. Cobra Kai is based on the 1984 film series The Karate Kid. Original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) continues the story from when he first arrived in the Valley in 1984 to the present day, where he’s helped influence a new generation of underdog heroes, formed unlikely alliances, and honored the lessons of his sensei, Mr. Miyagi, in a dojo of his own.

For reality TV lovers, Too Hot to Handle will premiere Season 6 on Netflix on July 19th. The reality dating competition encourages single participants to leave their lives of mingling and flings behind in exchange for committed relationships, offering a maximum prize pot of $250,000 for a couple who can form a strong emotional bond and lay the foundations for a successful relationship.

A new dark comedy titled The Decameron premieres on Netflix on July 25th. Loosely inspired by the iconic short story collection of the same name, the series examines the all-too-timely theme of class struggles in the season of a pandemic as a cast of misfits tries to outlast the bubonic plague pandemic in 1348 Florence. The Decameron stars Tony Hale as Sirisco, Zosia Mamet as Pampinea, Saoirse Monica-Jackson as Misia, Tanya Reynolds as Licisca, Karan Gill as Panfilo, and more.

Netflix doesn't have all the notable titles, as AppleTV+ has quite a few new series premiering on their roster for July. Thriller series Sunny stars Rashida Jones living in Kyoto, Japan, whose life is upended when her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash. As a consolation, she is given Sunny, one of a new class of domestic robots made by her husband's electronics company. The series premieres on July 10th. The next day, in the sci-fi coming-of-age family series Me, a 12-year-old kid named Ben (Lucian-River Chauhan), who is in the throes of middle school, adjusts to a newly blended family and the realization that he has superpowers.

Over on Hulu, the streamer has returning seasons of popular television series dropping in July. First, reality competition Claim to Fame returns for Season 3 on July 10th. Co-hosted by siblings Kevin and Frankie Jonas, the series challenges 12 celebrity relatives to step outside their famous family members' shadows and live together under one roof, concealing their identities and lineage in the quest for their own fame and fortune. They compete in challenges, form alliances, and play DNA detective in hopes of avoiding elimination and winning the coveted $100,000 prize. The long-running adult animated series Futurama returns for the 12th season on July 29th. The show initially aired in 1999.

Detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is back on the beat in Beverly Hills. After his daughter’s life is threatened, she (Taylour Paige) and Foley team up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and old pals Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to turn up the heat and uncover a conspiracy. Streams on Netlix on July 3rd.

Max snags another A24 film, this time with the thriller crime starring Kristen Stewart as Lou, a reclusive gym manager who falls hard for Jackie (Katy M. O'Brian), an ambitious bodybuilder who's heading to Las Vegas to pursue her dream. Their love soon leads to violence as they get pulled deep into the web of Lou's criminal family. Ed Harris and Dave Franco are also in the cast. The film drops on Max on July 19th.

Coming off a flop album and his biggest hit's dwindling popularity, aging rock star John Allman (Harry Connick Jr.) decides to take a break from his career to reclaim his spark. He moves to an isolated cliffside home on the idyllic Mediterranean island of Cyprus. His dream of keeping a low profile is derailed when he is routinely confronted by desperate souls and later faced with even more complicated surprises when an old flame reignites. Also starring Agni Scott, Ali Fumiko Whitney, Tony Demetriou, Angeliki Filipidou, Lea Maleni, Athina Roditou and Clarence Smith. Comes to Netflix on July 19th.