YouTube Retains Top Spot in Media Distributor Ranking

YouTube scored a 13.4 percent share of U.S. watch time in July, widening its lead over Disney, which had a 9.4 percent share, according to Nielsen’s Media Distributor Gauge rankings.

That is the largest lead by a media company to date since Nielsen began the Media Distributor Gauge chart in November 2023.

In a slow period for the broadcast and cable networks, pure-play streaming saw gains last month, with Netflix and The Roku Channel setting platform records in July.

Netflix is third in the ranking with its 8.8 percent share, driven by a steady flow of originals and acquired fare. The platform saw its average minute audience rise by an additional 215,000 viewers compared to June.

Rounding out the top five are NBCUniversal with a 7.6 percent share and Paramount at 7 percent. FOX Corporation posted a 6.5 percent share, with Warner Bros Discovery at 6.1 percent.

Amazon, at 3.9 percent, came close to its record of 4 percent from December, driven by Ballard and new episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty.

The Roku Channel drove its share to 2.8 percent, the largest monthly usage increase across all streaming platforms with a 7.5 percent increase in June. Hallmark also saw an increase, to 1.1 percent, thanks to its annual “Christmas in July” programming on The Hallmark Channel.