TORONTO — Netflix clinched the number one spot in a ranking of TV brands in the United States for the first time in 2020, according to the latest Must Keep TV Report from Toronto-based consumer research firm Solutions Research Group (SRG).
The research is based on 1,400 interviews conducted from May 22-26 with consumers aged 12 and older across the U.S., when the coronavirus lockdown gave most people a good chance to consume their regular brands and sample some new options, says SRG.
Following Netflix, which took top spot in all demographics, the big four U.S. networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, in that order) round out the top five TV brands for 2020. In SRG’s ranking in 2019, ABC was the top “must keep TV” brand in the U.S., with Netflix ranked second. Other U.S. streaming services faired well this year: Amazon Prime Video and Hulu ranked sixth and seventh, respectively.
ESPN remained strong despite the dearth of live sports this spring, likely spurred on by the very popular Michael Jordan docu-series The Last Dance (which was shown in Canada on Netflix).
Disney+ made a big entry and had the most significant momentum, coming in at the number 13 position out of 79 TV brands in less than a year after its launch.
Other brands on the rise in the U.S. this year include Discovery, Food Network, Cartoon Network and FX, according to SRG’s report. TLC and MSNBC also recorded significant gains, with TLC ranked #29 up from #41, and MSNBC ranked #39 up from #46.
TV brands declining in status in the U.S. include AMC, CW and HBO. According to SRG’s research, HBO exited the top 10 for the first time since 2013, just before the launch of HBO Max.
