*The battle between streaming TV and its traditional broadcast and cable counterparts has shifted in favor of the former.
IndieWire cites Nielsen’s May 2025 The Gauge report in revealing the amount of time people tune into the small screen via streaming services surpassed the time viewers spend watching traditional broadcast television and cable TV — combined.
Numerically speaking, 44.8 percent of all TV viewership was the amount streaming accounted for in the U.S. versus just 24.1 percent for cable and 20.1 percent for broadcast.
Rewinding to May 2021, the difference is notable as streaming was less of a factor at just 26 percent of all TV viewing. Cable during that time came in at 39 percent.
According to Nielsen the overall shift in viewers who stream is an increase of 71 percent increase
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Noting streaming’s come up less than a year ago over cable, Indie Wire reports broadcast is added to the outlets that are yielding. Although dwindling viewership amid streaming’s rise should come as no surprise, Nielsen pointed out the “surprising resilience” shown by broadcast and cable.
The current stats for streaming are a far cry from when more than 1 percent of viewers were taking in just 5 streaming services: Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Prime Video, and Disney+ back in 2021. Since then, the streaming platforms have expanded to 11, which have a consistent share of viewing. That includes 5.7 percent of all viewing coming from FAST channel platforms, Pluto, Tubi, and Roku Channel.
In addition, Paramount+ and Peacock have made an impact in securing market shares, as well as combined viewing involving HBO Max and Discovery+ (though Apple TV+ is still absent from crossing Nielsen’s 1 percent threshold).
The increased streamers are fine. But it is YouTube that is at the top of the heap.
Netflix is still a contender, though, with a 27 percent rise in viewers since May 2021 to result in 7.5 percent of all TV viewing in 2025. The boost is partially due to its two Christmas Day NFL games it aired in 2024, the biggest streaming day in history, according to Nielsen.
As sports invades the streaming universe more with Peacock and Prime Video, streaming is securing its rise solidly. In contrast, the return of football and the new season of TV shows on broadcast could result in another shift, one that favors the traditional outlet.
For more about Nielsen’s findings involving the increase in streaming over broadcast and cable, click here.
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