Historic Milestone for Streaming in the U.S.

For the first time, streaming usage in the U.S. has eclipsed the combined share of broadcast and cable, according to Nielsen’s The Gauge for May.

Streaming represented 44.8 percent of TV viewership last month, a new high, with broadcast at 20.1 percent and cable at 24.1 percent.

“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.”

YouTube remains out front with a 12.5 percent share, with Netflix at 7.5 percent, Disney at 5 percent and Prime Video at 3.5 percent. Roku Channel is now at 2.5 percent, with Tubi at 2.2 percent, demonstrating the rising importance of AVOD and FAST services. Pluto TV, Roku Channel and Tubi combined for 5.7 percent of total TV viewing in May, which is larger than any individual broadcast network for the period. Paramount sits alongside Tubi at 2.2 percent, with Warner Bros. Discovery at 1.5 percent and Peacock at 1.4 percent.