Emerging
Jun 23, 2026 Major2
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Ad-Supported TV Dominates Q1 2026 US Viewing at 73%, Streaming Reaches Record 46.6%
Ad-supported television commanded 73% of US viewing in Q1 2026, with streaming platforms reaching a record 46.6% share, driven by major sports events and hit series. Broadcast networks held steady at 28.2%, while cable TV continued its decline to 25.2%, though showing modest quarterly improvement.
Quick Facts
Who
Nielsen
What
Ad-supported TV measurement and reporting
When
Q1 2026 (first quarter)
Where
United States
- Ad-supported TV measurement and reporting
- Streaming platform viewership growth
- Broadcast and cable network viewership trends
- Super Bowl simulcast on NBC
- Olympics coverage on Peacock
Nielsen's latest Ad Supported Gauge report reveals that ad-supported television accounted for nearly 73% of overall US viewing in the first quarter of 2026, with streaming platforms capturing a record-high 46.6% share of ad-supported content. The surge in streaming viewership was driven primarily by major sporting events, including NBC's Super Bowl simulcast, Peacock's Olympics coverage from Milan Cortina, and Amazon Prime Video's NFL playoff games. Beyond sports, popular entertainment series including Netflix's "Stranger Things," Paramount+'s "Landman," and HBO Max's "The Pitt" contributed to the streaming growth.
Broadcast networks held a 28.2% share of ad-supported viewing in Q1, down 0.5 percentage points year-over-year and 1.4 points from the previous quarter. NBC, the major broadcaster, saw a slight boost compared to the first quarter of 2025, rising to 28.7% from 28.2%. Cable TV networks showed signs of stabilization with a 25.2% share in Q1, up 0.4 percentage points from Q4 2025, though this remained a significant decline of nearly four percentage points compared to the same period a year earlier. The cable rebound was partly attributed to Olympics coverage and March Madness basketball programming.
Sports programming continues to be the dominant driver of ad-supported TV consumption across all platforms. Nielsen noted that while Q4 2025 held the high water mark for ad-supported TV share due to its robust sports schedule, the variance between quarters remains relatively modest, with less than 1.8 share points difference between the highest and lowest quarters throughout the year. The report underscores the ongoing shift in viewing habits toward streaming platforms while traditional broadcast and cable networks face sustained pressure in the ad-supported landscape.
Why This Matters
This data reveals a fundamental shift in US media consumption: streaming platforms are now capturing nearly half of all ad-supported TV viewing, driven by live sports and premium content. For advertisers, networks, and streaming services, this signals where consumer attention is concentrating and where marketing budgets should flow. The modest stabilization of cable TV, largely through sports programming, demonstrates that live events remain the most valuable content in retaining traditional viewers—a critical insight for content strategy and ad placement decisions.