X
For the First Time, Streaming Reaches Historic TV Milestone, Eclipses Combined Broadcast and Cable Viewing
Streaming Notches a Record 44.8% of Total TV Usage in May
Streaming Usage Up 71% Since 2021, with YouTube, Netflix and Other Platforms Showing Dramatic Growth Over Four Years
FAST Services Continue to Grow as PlutoTV, Roku Channel and Tubi Combine for 5.7% of TV Viewing in May
NEW YORK – June 17, 2025 – Streaming reached a historic milestone in May as its share of total television usage outpaced the combined share of broadcast and cable for the first time ever, according to Nielsen’s monthly report of The Gauge™. Streaming represented 44.8% of TV viewership in May 2025, its largest share of viewing to date, while broadcast (20.1%) and cable (24.1%) combined to represent 44.2% of TV.
This month also marks four years since the launch of The Gauge, which debuted with the May 2021 report. As audience viewing habits—and the media landscape at large—have rapidly evolved over that time, The Gauge has continued to serve as the industry benchmark for tracking how people spend time watching television. When comparing TV usage in May 2021 and May 2025, it’s clear that streaming has been the dominant viewing format with a usage increase of 71%. And while broadcast and cable viewing have declined (down 21% and 39%, respectively, compared with May 2021), traditional TV has shown surprising resilience.
“It’s fitting that this inflection point coincides with the four year anniversary of Nielsen’s The Gauge, which has become the gold standard for streaming TV measurement,” said Karthik Rao, Nielsen CEO. “It’s also a credit to media companies, who have deftly adapted their programming strategies to meet their viewers where they are watching TV – whether it’s on streaming or linear platforms.”
The Gauge™ is Nielsen’s monthly snapshot of total broadcast, cable and streaming consumption that occurs through a television screen, providing the industry with a holistic look at what audiences are watching. The Gauge was expanded in April 2024 to include The Media Distributor Gauge, which reflects total viewing by media distributor across these categories. Read more about The Gauge methodology and FAQs.