Distribution of total TV and video usage time in the United States -- May 2026, by media company
Nielsen's The Gauge captures every minute watched across all platforms in approximately 40,000 American households each month. The May 2026 report confirms streaming's structural dominance. May is historically an off-peak month -- no NFL, no major elections -- making streaming's 40.0% share particularly meaningful. The full industry content investment context is in our media and streaming content spending analysis.
YouTube leads all individual services with 9.7% of total U.S. TV time. Netflix follows at 8.2%. Together, these two platforms account for nearly one-fifth of all U.S. television viewing minutes. Full YouTube context is in our YouTube statistics report and Netflix context in our Netflix statistics and facts report.
Total streaming reaches 40.0% of U.S. TV time in May 2026, compared to cable's 25.5% and broadcast's 21.1%. The streaming-cable crossover first occurred in July 2022. By May 2026, streaming's lead over cable has expanded to 14.5 percentage points, confirming the structural permanence of this shift.
May is one of the lowest TV viewing months in the U.S. -- no NFL, no election coverage, longer daylight hours. Streaming reaching 40.0% in May 2026 confirms a structural trend, not a seasonal spike. Peak readings (October/November) reach 41%+. Cable at 25.5% in May is its seasonal low, consistent with the four-year decline from 34.4% in 2022. The revenue implications are in our revenue analysis.
Share of total U.S. TV time by platform -- May 2026, all companies ranked
The rank bars below show every major platform's share of total U.S. TV usage in May 2026. This measures time-spent viewing, not subscriber counts. Subscriber counts by platform are in our SVOD subscribers by platform analysis.
U.S. TV time share by platform -- May 2026 vs May 2024
Every individually tracked streaming service gained share between May 2024 and May 2026. Cable lost 2.2 percentage points. Click any column to sort. Digital media context is in our social media statistics analysis.
| Rank | Platform / Category | May 2026 | May 2024 | Change | Category | Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cable (all networks) | 25.5% | 27.7% | -2.2pp | Cable | Pay TV |
| 2 | Broadcast (NBC/CBS/ABC/Fox) | 21.1% | 20.8% | +0.3pp | Broadcast | OTA/MVPD |
| 3 | YouTube | 9.7% | 9.3% | +0.4pp | Streaming | AVOD/Premium |
| 4 | Netflix | 8.2% | 7.7% | +0.5pp | Streaming | SVOD/AVOD |
| 5 | Other (DVR/Gaming) | 13.4% | 12.8% | +0.6pp | Other | N/A |
| 6 | Other Streaming | 9.5% | 9.0% | +0.5pp | Streaming | Mixed |
| 7 | Amazon Prime Video | 3.1% | 2.9% | +0.2pp | Streaming | SVOD/AVOD |
| 8 | Hulu | 2.6% | 2.5% | +0.1pp | Streaming | SVOD/Live TV |
| 9 | Disney+ | 1.8% | 1.6% | +0.2pp | Streaming | SVOD/AVOD |
| 10 | Tubi | 1.4% | 1.1% | +0.3pp | Streaming FAST | AVOD Free |
| 11 | Max (WBD) | 1.2% | 1.0% | +0.2pp | Streaming | SVOD/AVOD |
| 12 | Peacock | 0.9% | 0.8% | +0.1pp | Streaming | SVOD/AVOD |
| 13 | Paramount+ | 0.8% | 0.7% | +0.1pp | Streaming | SVOD/AVOD |
Streaming 40.0% vs Cable 25.5% -- four-year trend confirms structural shift
Streaming first overtook cable in July 2022. By May 2026, the margin is 14.5 percentage points. Cable has lost 8.9pp in four years, implying it could fall below 20% before 2029. The ad-supported streaming context is in our ad-supported VOD analysis.
Broadcast at 21.1% in May 2026 reflects the off-season: no NFL, primetime drama season finales, and local news. Cable at 25.5% is its seasonal low. Both cable and broadcast reach higher shares in fall when NFL is active. More digital media context in our social media statistics analysis.
YouTube -- 9.7% of Total U.S. TV Time in May 2026, Largest Individual Service
YouTube's 9.7% share of total U.S. TV time in May 2026 makes it the dominant streaming destination in American households. Measured on television screens (not mobile or desktop), over 70% of YouTube's U.S. watch time occurs on TV screens. Full context is in our YouTube statistics report.
- CTV penetration: Pre-installed on virtually all smart TV platforms and streaming devices (Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV). Most accessible media service in U.S. households regardless of income or subscription tier.
- Content breadth: 500+ hours of video uploaded per minute. Every genre and interest covered. No single streaming service matches YouTube's content volume and diversity.
- YouTube TV: 8M+ U.S. paid subscribers. Live TV bundle classified as streaming by Nielsen, adding live viewing minutes to YouTube's total share figure.
- Monetisation: AVOD free tier plus YouTube Premium paid tier. Estimated $14B+ annual U.S. ad revenue. Free access drives reach across all demographic and income segments. More in our platforms analysis.
Netflix -- 8.2% of Total U.S. TV Time in May 2026, Second Individual Service
Netflix holds 8.2% of total U.S. TV time in May 2026, the second-largest individual service. Up from 6.8% in 2022 (+1.4pp in four years). The revenue context is in our Netflix revenue statistics analysis.
Netflix reaches approximately 84 million U.S. and Canadian subscribers. The ad-supported tier exceeds 90 million global subscribers and drives higher total viewing minutes. Netflix's 2026 content budget exceeds $18 billion. Full platform context in our Netflix statistics and facts report. DTC financial performance in our DTC segment financials analysis.
Amazon (3.1%), Hulu (2.6%), Disney+ (1.8%), Tubi (1.4%), Max (1.2%), Peacock (0.9%), Paramount+ (0.8%)
Beyond YouTube and Netflix, the remaining 22.1% of streaming TV time is distributed across seven individually tracked platforms. Subscriber context is in our SVOD by platform analysis.
- Amazon Prime Video (3.1%): Exclusive NFL Thursday Night Football rights (off-season in May), originals (The Boys, Fallout, Rings of Power), 200M+ global Prime members. More in our Amazon statistics report.
- Hulu (2.6%): Hybrid SVOD plus live TV (Hulu + Live TV) drives longer daily sessions. Fourth-largest service. Classified entirely as streaming by Nielsen. Context in our Disney Plus statistics report.
- Disney+ (1.8%): Franchise content (Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar) drives strong family viewing sessions and viewer loyalty. Financial context in our DTC financials analysis.
- Tubi (1.4%): Strongest proportional growth since 2022 (+0.6pp). Free AVOD model drives reach among cord-cutters. 80M+ monthly active U.S. users. AVOD context in our ad-supported VOD analysis.
- Max/WBD (1.2%): HBO drama library (Last of Us, House of Dragon, White Lotus) drives premium sessions. May is a strong month for Max -- HBO dramas typically air in spring. 128M global subscribers Q3 2025.
- Peacock (0.9%): Lower in May without NFL Sunday Night Football. Premier League (finishing in May), WWE Raw, and NBCU library sustain base share. 44M subscribers end-2025.
- Paramount+ (0.8%): CBS content, Paramount film library, UEFA Champions League final month. 77.7M global subscribers June 2025.
Streaming's 40.0% total share -- breakdown by individual service
May 2024 vs May 2026 -- all streaming services gained, cable lost 2.2pp
Every individually tracked streaming service gained TV time share between May 2024 and May 2026. Netflix gained +0.5pp, YouTube +0.4pp, Tubi +0.3pp. Cable lost 2.2pp in the same period. More context in our social media statistics analysis.
U.S. TV Usage Share by Company -- Key Statistics and Facts, May 2026
2027 Outlook -- YouTube and Netflix gains continue, cable below 23%, FAST accelerates
The trends visible in May 2026 point toward further streaming consolidation through 2027. Cable's trajectory implies a fall below 23% of U.S. TV time by end of 2027. FAST services, led by Tubi and Pluto TV, are the fastest-growing segment. The SVOD subscriber context is covered in our global platform analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions -- U.S. TV Usage Share by Company May 2026
Among individual streaming services, YouTube leads with 9.7% of total U.S. TV time in May 2026, per Nielsen The Gauge. Netflix is second at 8.2%. As aggregated categories, cable (25.5%) and broadcast (21.1%) are larger total blocks, but no individual cable network approaches YouTube's individual share. YouTube has held the top individual service position since 2022.
Yes, streaming definitively surpassed cable in July 2022, when Nielsen confirmed streaming at 34.8% vs cable at 34.4% of total U.S. TV time. By May 2026, streaming (40.0%) leads cable (25.5%) by 14.5 percentage points. This position has held for four consecutive years and appears structurally permanent. At the current pace of decline, cable could fall below 20% of total U.S. TV time before 2030.
Total streaming accounts for 40.0% of all U.S. TV time in May 2026. Full breakdown: YouTube 9.7%, Netflix 8.2%, other streaming 9.5%, Amazon 3.1%, Hulu 2.6%, Disney+ 1.8%, Tubi 1.4%, Max 1.2%, Peacock 0.9%, Paramount+ 0.8%. May is off-peak -- peak readings in October/November reach 41%+. Cable holds 25.5%, broadcast 21.1%, other (DVR/gaming) 13.4%. Source: Nielsen The Gauge May 2026.
YouTube leads because of four structural advantages: universal CTV pre-installation (comes built-in on every major smart TV and streaming device), free access (no subscription or credit card required), infinite content breadth (500+ hours uploaded per minute covering every topic and language), and YouTube TV (8M+ live TV subscribers classified as streaming by Nielsen). Over 70% of U.S. YouTube watch time now occurs on television screens rather than phones. Up from 7.3% in 2022 to 9.7% in May 2026 (+2.4pp).
Nielsen's The Gauge is a monthly report measuring the percentage share of total U.S. TV usage time across all viewing categories: streaming, cable, broadcast, and other. It uses a panel of approximately 40,000 U.S. households with measurement devices on every television screen. The Gauge reports time-spent share, not subscriber counts or reach. A service at 9.7% means 9.7 of every 100 TV minutes in the U.S. occurs on that platform. Published monthly by Nielsen, typically one month in arrears.
May is one of the lowest U.S. TV viewership months of the year for three reasons: no NFL season (which drives broadcast and streaming peaks September to February), no major election coverage, and longer daylight hours reducing evening viewing. Services that rely heavily on live sports -- Peacock (NFL Sunday Night Football), Amazon (NFL Thursday Night Football), and broadcast networks -- all show lower May shares than their fall/winter peaks. Streaming at 40.0% in May 2026 is particularly significant because it confirms structural dominance even in the off-peak season.
Tubi holds 1.4% of total U.S. TV time in May 2026, up from 0.8% in 2022 (+0.6pp) -- the strongest proportional gain among all individually tracked services. FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) platforms like Tubi are growing faster than SVOD because they have zero subscription friction: no sign-up fee, no credit card, no trial period. As subscription fatigue grows and households cancel paid streaming services, FAST captures that viewing time. Tubi has 80M+ monthly active U.S. users -- larger than most paid streaming services by reach.
Cable holds 25.5% of total U.S. TV time in May 2026, down from 34.4% in 2022 -- a loss of 8.9 percentage points in four years. At the current pace of decline (approximately 2-3pp per year), cable could fall below 20% of total U.S. TV time before 2030. Defensible content -- ESPN live sports and live news (Fox News, CNN) -- will sustain a floor, but cord-cutting at 7-8 million U.S. households annually shows no sign of slowing. May is cable's seasonal low; fall readings are 2-3pp higher due to NFL. Source: Nielsen The Gauge.