Distribution of total TV and video usage time in the United States as of May 2026, by media company
The U.S. television landscape has undergone a structural transformation. In May 2026, streaming accounts for 40.0% of all TV time -- a category that barely existed 15 years ago. This is the result of a decade of consumer migration from scheduled linear TV to on-demand and streaming video. Yet the transformation is not complete: cable and broadcast television combined still account for approximately 46.6% of total TV time. The revenue implications of this shift are in our DTC segment financial analysis and Netflix DTC leadership in our Netflix DTC FY2026 revenue analysis.
The most significant individual story is YouTube's dominance at 9.7% -- higher than Netflix (8.2%) and higher than the entire Disney portfolio of streaming services combined. YouTube's TV-screen share reflects its evolution from a desktop/mobile platform to a living room experience, driven by YouTube TV (cable replacement), creator content on smart TV apps, and YouTube Music. The subscription pricing of Disney's streaming portfolio is in our Disney streaming subscription prices analysis.
The shift has accelerated since 2022 for three structural reasons. First, password sharing crackdowns -- Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu restricted account sharing between 2022 and 2024, converting millions of non-paying viewers into paying subscribers who now engage daily. Second, ad-supported tiers at $6-8/month made streaming accessible to households previously priced out of premium streaming. Third, live sports migration -- NFL games on Prime Video and Peacock, NBA on Max, and Champions League on Paramount+ anchored daily streaming habits with appointment-viewing content that previously kept households on cable. HVOD subscriber context in our HVOD subscribers by AVOD/SVOD tier analysis.
An important nuance: share of minutes is not the same as share of subscribers or revenue. Disney+ is the clearest example -- 131.6 million paid subscribers but only 1.9% TV time share, compared to Netflix's 8.2% share with 301 million subscribers. Daily engagement per subscriber -- driven by content breadth, freshness, and viewing habits -- is what Nielsen captures. The HVOD revenue context in our HVOD services revenue worldwide analysis.
Streaming first surpassed cable TV in total U.S. viewing minutes in July 2022 (Nielsen). By May 2026, streaming leads cable by 14.5 percentage points (40.0% vs 25.5%). However, adding broadcast TV (21.1%) to cable gives traditional TV a combined 46.6% -- still ahead of streaming's 40.0%. The streaming tipping point -- when streaming exceeds all traditional TV combined -- is projected around 2027-2028. Disney+ subscriber growth in our Disney Plus subscriber count worldwide analysis.
U.S. TV usage share by company May 2026 -- all categories ranked
The bar chart below ranks all TV usage categories by share of total U.S. TV time in May 2026. Cable TV leads all individual categories at 25.5%, but YouTube (9.7%) and Netflix (8.2%) each exceed many cable channel groupings individually. Full HVOD revenue context in our HVOD services revenue worldwide analysis.
The ranking reveals a media landscape in transition. Cable TV (25.5%) and Broadcast (21.1%) together still dominate at 46.6% combined -- but each is in long-term structural decline. YouTube (9.7%) has overtaken Netflix (8.2%) as the leading individual streaming service -- a milestone that reflects YouTube's unique position as both a free service and a paid cable replacement (YouTube TV). The "Other Streaming" category (11.7%) is now larger than YouTube or Netflix individually, reflecting the explosion of smaller streaming apps, FAST channels, and niche services now available on smart TVs.
- Cable TV (25.5%): Still the single largest viewing category despite losing ~12.5 percentage points since 2021. Cable's resilience comes from live news (CNN, Fox News, MSNBC), live sports (ESPN, TNT), and daytime programming habituated in older demographics. Cable TV providers have lost ~25 million video subscribers since 2019 -- yet the remaining base watches significantly more TV per household than streaming-only households, maintaining cable's total minute share. Cable's decline continues at ~2-3 percentage points per year.
- Broadcast TV (21.1%): Significantly more stable than cable -- declining only ~4 percentage points since 2021 versus cable's 12.5-point collapse. Broadcast benefits from free over-the-air reception (no subscription required), NFL Sunday games on CBS and Fox (highest-rated U.S. programming), and local news which remains primarily a broadcast product.
- YouTube (9.7%): The most important development in U.S. TV viewing over the past three years. YouTube's TV-screen share has grown from ~6% in 2021 to 9.7% in May 2026 -- a gain of 3.7 percentage points. YouTube TV (cable replacement, $82.99/month, 8M+ subscribers) contributes meaningfully, but the majority comes from the free YouTube app on smart TVs -- creator content, sports highlights, music videos, podcasts, and live streams. YouTube is the only major streaming service that is both free at the entry level and growing its TV-screen presence simultaneously.
- Netflix (8.2%): Leads all paid streaming services in U.S. TV time. Netflix's 8.2% represents ~27 minutes of Netflix per U.S. TV per day across all households. Among Netflix subscriber households (~100M+ U.S./Canada), daily viewing is estimated at 2+ hours per day. Key engagement drivers include original drama series, documentary series, comedy specials, and expanding live sports. Disney+ subscriber data for comparison in our Disney Plus ARPU worldwide analysis.
- Other Streaming (11.7%): This aggregated category at 11.7% is the largest streaming segment after YouTube and Netflix individually. Includes Peacock (~1.6%), Paramount+ (~1.5%), Tubi (~1.2%), Apple TV+ (~1.0%), Pluto TV (~0.9%), ESPN+ standalone (~0.8%), Crunchyroll (~0.5%), and hundreds of other apps. Free ad-supported TV (FAST) channels -- Tubi, Pluto TV, Samsung TV+, Freevee -- contribute significantly as cost-conscious households supplement paid streaming with free alternatives.
- Hulu (3.5%): Hulu punches above its subscriber count in TV time share. With ~54 million subscribers -- far fewer than Disney+ (131.6M) -- Hulu holds 3.5% vs Disney+'s 1.9%. This reflects Hulu's engagement advantages: next-day access to ABC, NBC, Fox, and CBS primetime drives daily habit-forming viewing; Hulu + Live TV (8M+ subscribers) generates cable-equivalent engagement; and Originals (The Bear, Only Murders in the Building) drive appointment viewing.
- Amazon Prime Video (3.3%): Amazon's share has grown since ads launched in January 2024. Thursday Night Football exclusivity is a major engagement driver in season (September-January). Amazon Originals (The Boys, Rings of Power, Fallout) drive spikes at premiere events. Amazon is the only major streaming service where all subscribers now see ads by default. Disney+ ARPU comparison in our Disney Plus ARPU worldwide analysis.
- Disney+ (1.9%): Disney+'s TV time share is lower than its 131.6M subscriber base suggests because its content -- while premium -- is narrower in viewing occasion than Netflix or YouTube. Disney+ (Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, Disney animation, NatGeo) generates high enthusiasm but episodic viewing clustered around new release windows. Disney+ is a "destination" service rather than a "daily habit" service for most subscribers.
- Max/HBO (1.7%): Max's share reflects HBO's quality-over-quantity strategy. Prestige dramas (White Lotus Season 3, The Last of Us Season 2, House of the Dragon) generate enormous viewing spikes during their runs -- but between major releases, daily engagement drops significantly. Max's 128M global subscribers includes large international markets. Global subscriber context in our global SVOD subscriber count by platform analysis.
Streaming 40.0% vs Cable 25.5% vs Broadcast 21.1% -- U.S. TV time breakdown May 2026
The grouped bar chart below compares the three main TV viewing categories (streaming, cable, broadcast) across 2024 and 2026, showing the share shift over two years. Streaming has gained approximately 4 percentage points in two years while cable has lost approximately 3 points. Disney+ subscriber growth underlying this shift in our Disney Plus subscribers U.S. analysis.
U.S. TV time distribution May 2026 -- streaming 40%, cable 25.5%, broadcast 21.1%
Streaming share of U.S. TV time 2021 to 2026 -- from 26% to 40%
The line chart below tracks streaming's share of total U.S. TV time from 2021 to May 2026. The structural shift accelerated in 2022-2023 as Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon scaled their content libraries and subscriber bases. Disney+ ARPU data reflecting this engagement growth in our Disney Plus ARPU worldwide quarterly analysis.
The streaming share trajectory shows three distinct phases: Phase 1 (2021-2022): Rapid growth as pandemic viewing habits became permanent and streaming libraries expanded. Phase 2 (2022-2024): Consolidation as streaming surpassed cable (July 2022) but growth slowed as the addressable market of willing cord-cutters was largely exhausted. Phase 3 (2024-2026): Steady structural gain (+2-3 pts/year) driven by older demographics adopting streaming, live sports migration, and FAST channel growth. The content spend enabling this shift in our media content spending analysis.
One underappreciated dynamic: broadcast TV has declined far more slowly than cable. Broadcast lost ~4 percentage points from 2021 to 2026 versus cable's 12.5-point collapse. Broadcast TV benefits from free over-the-air reception -- immune to cord-cutting economics. NFL Sunday games on CBS and Fox reaching 25-30 million viewers weekly maintain broadcast's must-see live event relevance.
Streaming service TV usage share -- YouTube 9.7%, Netflix 8.2%, Hulu 3.5%, Amazon 3.3%
The horizontal bars below compare individual named streaming services by their share of total U.S. TV time in May 2026. YouTube leads Netflix by 1.5 percentage points -- a gap that has widened as YouTube's TV app usage has grown faster than Netflix's. Netflix subscriber count context in our global SVOD subscriber count by platform analysis.
The gap between YouTube (9.7%) and Netflix (8.2%) has widened since 2023. YouTube's key advantage: it is the only streaming service where both the content and the basic service are free. YouTube captures viewing from all households regardless of subscription status. YouTube TV (cable replacement, $82.99/month, 8M+ subscribers) also adds to YouTube's share -- when separated, YouTube's pure streaming-app share is closer to 7-8%. Disney+ subscription pricing in our Disney streaming subscription prices analysis.
The gap between Hulu (3.5%) and Amazon Prime Video (3.3%) reflects meaningful structural differences. Hulu's 3.5% is driven by live and next-day TV -- viewers using Hulu as a partial cable replacement, watching local news and primetime shows (Grey's Anatomy, Abbott Elementary, The Voice) the day after broadcast. Amazon's 3.3% is driven by premium originals and Thursday Night Football in season. Amazon's share spikes during NFL season (September-January) then drops in the off-season. Hulu's share is more consistent year-round due to its continuous network TV pipeline.
U.S. TV usage share by company -- complete data table May 2026
| Company / Category | TV Share May 2026 (%) | TV Share 2024 Est. (%) | YoY Change | Category | Share of Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cable TV | 25.5% | 28.2% | -2.7 pts | Traditional | -- |
| Broadcast TV | 21.1% | 22.0% | -0.9 pts | Traditional | -- |
| Other Streaming | 11.7% | 10.4% | +1.3 pts | Streaming | 29.3% |
| YouTube | 9.7% | 8.9% | +0.8 pts | Streaming | 24.3% |
| Netflix | 8.2% | 7.7% | +0.5 pts | Streaming | 20.5% |
| Other (Gaming etc.) | 13.4% | 14.0% | -0.6 pts | Other | -- |
| Hulu | 3.5% | 3.2% | +0.3 pts | Streaming | 8.8% |
| Amazon PV | 3.3% | 3.1% | +0.2 pts | Streaming | 8.3% |
| Disney+ | 1.9% | 1.8% | +0.1 pts | Streaming | 4.8% |
| Max / HBO | 1.7% | 1.6% | +0.1 pts | Streaming | 4.3% |
| Total Streaming | 40.0% | 36.1% | +3.9 pts | Streaming | 100% |
U.S. TV usage share -- key statistics and facts May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions -- U.S. TV usage share by company May 2026
YouTube leads at 9.7% of total U.S. TV time in May 2026. Netflix ranks second at 8.2%. YouTube's TV-screen leadership reflects YouTube TV (cable replacement service, $82.99/month, 8M+ subscribers), creator content via smart TV apps, YouTube Music, and YouTube Shorts on living room screens. Source: Nielsen The Gauge May 2026.
Streaming accounts for 40.0% of total U.S. TV time as of May 2026 -- a record high. This includes YouTube (9.7%), Netflix (8.2%), Other streaming (11.7%), Hulu (3.5%), Amazon (3.3%), Disney+ (1.9%), and Max (1.7%). Cable TV holds 25.5% and Broadcast 21.1%. Combined traditional TV (46.6%) still exceeds streaming (40.0%), but the gap has narrowed to 6.6 percentage points from 30+ in 2019. Source: Nielsen The Gauge May 2026.
Yes -- streaming (40.0%) exceeds cable TV (25.5%) by 14.5 percentage points. Streaming first surpassed cable in total U.S. viewing minutes in July 2022 (Nielsen). However, streaming has not yet surpassed all traditional TV combined -- cable (25.5%) plus broadcast (21.1%) = 46.6% traditional TV total, still ahead of streaming's 40.0%. The crossover point is projected for 2027-2028. Source: Nielsen The Gauge May 2026.
Disney+ accounts for 1.9% of total U.S. TV time -- significantly below Netflix (8.2%) and YouTube (9.7%). Disney+ has a smaller daily usage share than its 131.6M subscriber count suggests because its content library is narrower in breadth. Disney+ also trails Hulu (3.5%) -- a Disney-owned service with higher daily engagement from next-day TV and live TV options. Disney+ data in our Disney Plus subscriber count worldwide analysis. Source: Nielsen The Gauge May 2026.
Streaming first surpassed cable TV in total U.S. TV viewing minutes in July 2022, per Nielsen The Gauge data released August 2022. In that month, streaming reached 34.8% of total TV time versus cable TV at 34.4%. Since then, streaming has continued to grow while cable has declined, reaching streaming 40.0% versus cable 25.5% in May 2026 -- a 14.5 percentage point lead. Source: Nielsen The Gauge July 2022 and May 2026.
Cable TV's share has declined from approximately 38% in 2021 to 25.5% in May 2026 -- a loss of ~12.5 percentage points in five years. This reflects accelerating cord-cutting: cable TV providers have lost ~25-30 million subscribers in the U.S. since 2019 as households switch to streaming-only or virtual cable (YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV). Despite the decline, cable remains the largest single viewing category. Source: Nielsen The Gauge 2021-2026.
"Other Streaming" (11.7% of total TV time) aggregates all streaming services that Nielsen tracks but does not individually name. This includes Peacock (~1.6%), Paramount+ (~1.5%), Tubi (~1.2%), Apple TV+ (~1.0%), Pluto TV (~0.9%), ESPN+ standalone (~0.8%), Crunchyroll (~0.5%), and hundreds of other streaming apps. "Other Streaming" at 11.7% is larger than Netflix (8.2%) or YouTube (9.7%) individually, reflecting the long tail of streaming consumption including free FAST channels. Source: Nielsen The Gauge May 2026.
Hulu (3.5%) slightly leads Amazon Prime Video (3.3%) in U.S. TV time as of May 2026. Hulu's lead reflects its unique positioning -- next-day access to ABC, NBC, Fox, and CBS primetime programming drives daily habit-forming viewing, while Hulu + Live TV generates cable-equivalent engagement. Amazon's share spikes significantly during NFL season (September-January) due to Thursday Night Football exclusivity but drops back in the off-season. Hulu's share is more consistent year-round. Source: Nielsen The Gauge May 2026.