TV Viewing Shifts Toward Ad Supported in Q3

Ad-supported TV viewing in the third quarter represented 72.9 percent of overall TV viewership, driven in part by the start of the football season, per Nielsen’s Q3 2025 Ad Supported Gauge.

Streaming captured 46.4 percent of the ad-supported viewing total, followed by cable at 27.2 percent and broadcast at 26.4 percent.

The study reflected the impact of seasonality on the ad-supported share of TV viewing. July was one of the strongest months of the year for streaming consumption due to kids and teens being on summer vacation and a lighter month for ad-supported viewing, as streaming offers a wider variety of ad-free options. September, meanwhile, saw an increase in the overall share of ad-supported viewing with the return of live sports—namely, football. In September, ad-supported TV viewing represented 74.7 percent of overall TV viewership.

Streaming peaked in July with 48 percent of the overall ad-supported share, but dropped during September to 44.4 percent. Broadcast jumped to 29.1 percent in September thanks to the sports slate. Cable remained mostly consistent.

When looking at adults 18 and over, the ad-supported share splits differently. For that age demo, television takes 75.1 percent of the ad-supported pie, while streaming makes up only 42.4 percent.