ATLANTA—Around-the-clock live coverage of Hurricane Ian, boosted audiences at outlets owned by the Allen Media Group (AMG), with The Weather Channel television network and The Weather Channel Streaming App showing particularly large increases in viewing and streaming, AMG is reporting, citing Nielsen data.
AMG’s streaming brands Local Now, The Weather Channel en Español and theGrio also provided free local and national coverage of the devastating storm.
AMG is reporting that during the storm The Weather Channel:
- Reached 1 in 4 U.S. households over the course of the network’s initial storm coverage (September 24 – September 28).
- Was the #1 cable network for audiences 25-54 during Hurricane Ian’s landfall day (9/28).
- Ranked in the top five among all cable networks for the duration of the storm, according to Nielsen data.
AMG also reported that as Hurricane Ian approached the coast of Florida and made landfall, The Weather Channel experienced strong viewer engagement among adults 25-54, averaging more than 2.5 hours in time spent viewing.
The Weather Channel also broadcast its live Hurricane Ian coverage on SiriusXM channels 134 and 512 and provided continuous updates across Facebook and Twitter as the storm intensified and approached landfall.
In addition, The Weather Channel Streaming App made it possible for the first time ever during a major hurricane for viewers to access the television network’s live around-the-clock coverage on Roku, Amazon Fire, Samsung and Android streaming platforms.
In addition to the network’s live feed, viewers could watch a special multi-camera live stream of the hurricane’s landfall and resultant storm surge via the Hurricane Ian Landfall Cams Special Stream.
During Hurricane Ian’s Florida landfall, the average consumer spent 4 hours in the app, AMG said.
During the storm, The Weather Channel saw unprecedented increases in new direct-to-consumer subscribers and streaming viewers, who consumed 74.6 million minutes over the 3-day storm period (9/27 - 9/29) – a peak for the network.
The Weather Channel Streaming App is available for authenticated cable customers or via Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) subscription packages which include a 7-day free trial.
Other AMG outlets also provided extensive coverage.
Local Now, AMG's free-streaming platform for local news, weather, sports and entertainment, provided audiences access to live coverage across all its markets, including nine local network-affiliated channels in the state of Florida.
During Hurricane Ian, Local Now saw record high audiences and gained a 44% increase in viewing hours versus the average of the prior 3-day span, with almost half of its consumption hours occurring on the day of landfall.
The Weather Channel en Español viewers were able to stream Hurricane Ian live coverage on The Weather Channel Streaming App, Local Now, Sports.tv, theGrio, Roku Channel, Fubo Latino, Xumo, YouTubeTV, and Canela.tv.
TheGrio news network and website shared digital updates that spoke to the severity and effects of the category 4 storm.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the people and communities that were impacted by this devastating storm,” said Byron Allen, founder/chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. “There’s no news source America trusts more than The Weather Channel when facing massive life-threatening storms like Hurricane Ian. I am incredibly proud of the way our teams worked around the clock, coordinating with government officials at all levels, to ensure Americans had access to real-time lifesaving information. We have invested heavily to ensure that every human being, no matter their background or economic circumstance, has access to the news they need.”
