Streaming Overtakes Cable and Broadcast on US TVs

A Quiet Turning of the Dial

Streaming has overtaken cable and broadcast as the dominant way Americans watch television, a shift that has been years in the making and is now reflected in the monthly viewing data. According to Nielsen’s Gauge report, streaming accounted for roughly 47 percent of all U.S. television use in early 2026, holding a clear plurality over the traditional formats.

The milestone first arrived in 2025, when streaming’s share surpassed the combined total of cable and broadcast for the first time. Nielsen reported that streaming reached 44.8 percent of viewing that May, edging past the 44.2 percent that cable and broadcast claimed together.

How the Shift Unfolded

The change reflects a steady migration rather than a sudden break. Nielsen has tracked the trend since launching The Gauge in May 2021, when streaming made up about 26 percent of TV use. Over four years, streaming grew sharply while cable and broadcast viewing declined, with cable falling fastest.

Individual platforms have powered the gains. Nielsen reported that YouTube and Netflix together accounted for a large share of all TV use, with YouTube posting repeated monthly increases. Free, ad-supported services such as Tubi and the Roku Channel have added viewers as well, broadening the streaming category beyond subscription apps.

Specific programming has moved the numbers. Nielsen reported that the series finale of Netflix’s Stranger Things, included in its January 2026 reporting period, drew 15.4 billion minutes of viewing over four weeks, the kind of event that pulls audiences toward streaming and illustrates its growing pull.

The Resilience of Traditional TV

Traditional television has not disappeared, and at moments it pushes back. Nielsen noted that live sports and news kept cable and broadcast competitive, and that viewing for those formats rose in January 2026 as the College Football Playoff and a heavy news cycle drew audiences. Cable’s share ticked up that month even as streaming led overall.

The May 2025 split showed how narrow the crossover was. Nielsen reported that streaming took 44.8 percent of viewing that month while cable held 24.1 percent and broadcast 20.1 percent, meaning the two traditional formats together fell just short of streaming’s share. That tight margin is part of why Nielsen described the lead as real but not yet locked in.

Nielsen has cautioned that streaming’s lead is not yet permanent month to month, since seasonal events like football season can temporarily shift the balance back toward linear TV. Still, the agency described the longer trend as consistent, with streaming positioned to hold the top spot durably over time.

What It Means for Viewers

For households, the shift is less an announcement than a description of habits already formed. The way Americans find and watch shows has reorganized around on-demand libraries and ad-supported streaming tiers, and the data now confirms what living-room behavior already suggested.

The rise of free, ad-supported services has been a quieter part of the story. Platforms like Tubi and the Roku Channel have drawn audiences who want streaming without another subscription, broadening the category beyond paid apps and helping push streaming’s overall share past the traditional formats.

The change has reshaped the industry behind the screen as well. Media companies have reoriented around direct-to-consumer platforms, and the competition among streamers for viewing time has intensified. The Gauge data captures the consumer side of that realignment, measured month by month.

Where the Numbers Stand

The confirmed picture is clear in Nielsen’s data: streaming surpassed the combined share of cable and broadcast in May 2025 at 44.8 percent, and held roughly 47 percent of total U.S. TV use in early 2026. Cable and broadcast each retained meaningful shares, buoyed by live sports and news.

Nielsen framed the development as a historic milestone in how Americans watch television, while noting that month-to-month leadership can still shift with the seasons. For now, the most recent data shows streaming as the single largest category of U.S. television viewing.

References: Streaming Overtakes Cable Broadcast Cable Tv First Time Rcna213451 - NBC News | Tv Viewing 12 Month High January 2026 Nielsen Gauge - The Hollywood Reporter