The Gauge™
TV Viewing trends in the U.S.
Navigate the TV landscape with precision. Examine audience viewing behaviors across key TV delivery platforms in a monthly macroanalysis.
Explore how Americans watch TV across platforms
Monthly TV viewing by platform
January 2026
Total day | Persons 2+
Discover how Americans watch TV across media distributors
Monthly TV viewing by distributor
저작권 © 2026 닐슨 컴퍼니(미국), LLC. 모든 권리 보유.
The Ad Supported Gauge
Quarterly share of Ad supported TV
Q4, 2025
Total day | Persons 2+
Ad Supported Share of TV
Q4, 2025
Total day | Persons 2+
Category Share of Ad Supported TV
저작권 © 2026 닐슨 컴퍼니(미국), LLC. 모든 권리 보유.
Looking for more data and trends?
Get the full picture now.
Methodology/FAQ
All your questions answered: The Gauge FAQ
- The data for The Gauge is derived from two separately weighted panels and combined to create the graphic. Nielsen’s streaming data is derived from a subset of Streaming Meter-enabled TV households within the National TV panel. The linear TV sources (broadcast and cable), as well as total usage are based on viewing from Nielsen’s overall TV panel.
- All the data is time period based for each viewing source. The data, representing a broadcast month, is based on Live+7 viewing for the reporting interval (Note: Live+7 includes live television viewing plus viewing up to seven days later for linear content).
- Within The Gauge, “other” includes all other TV usage that does not fall into the broadcast, cable or streaming categories. This primarily includes all other tuning (unmeasured sources), unmeasured video on demand (VOD), audio streaming, gaming and other device (DVD playback) use.
- Beginning with the June 2023 interval, Nielsen began utilizing Streaming Content Ratings to identify original content distributed by platforms reported in that service to reclassify content viewed via cable set top boxes. This viewing will credit to streaming and to the streaming platform which distributed it. It will also be removed from the other category, where it was previously reflected. Content not identified as original within Streaming Content Ratings and viewed through a cable set top box will still be included in other.
- Streaming platforms listed as “other streaming” includes any high-bandwidth video streaming on television that is not individually broken out. Apps designed to deliver live broadcast and cable (linear) programming (VMVPD or MVPD applications like Sling TV or Charter/Spectrum) are excluded from “other streaming.”
- Linear streaming (as defined by the aggregation of viewing to vMVPD/MVPD apps) is excluded from the streaming category as the broadcast and cable content viewed through these apps credits to its respective category. This methodological change was implemented with the February 2023 interval.
- Linear streaming via vMVPD apps (e.g., Hulu Live, YouTube TV) are excluded from the streaming category. ‘Hulu SVOD’ and ‘YouTube Main’ within the streaming category refer to the platforms’ usage without the inclusion of linear streaming.
Related Insights
Learn more about Americans’ media habits
-
Insights | 30-01-2026
The Record: Q4 U.S. audio listening trends
Discover the latest audio consumer listening trends in Nielsen’s The Record for Q4 2025.
-
Insights | 19-01-2026
흑인의 영향력: 흑인 문화와 정체성이 시장을 주도하는 방법
Get the key insights into the Black audience trends and identities that brands need to know to earn Black…
-
Insights | 22-12-2025
Fan favorites drive the holiday viewing spirit
Which holiday fan favorite movies, old and new, are at the top of the season’s TV viewing charts?
-
Insights | 08-12-2025
Tops of Sports – Media trends shaping sports marketing for 2026
Discover what sports media trends are driving the future of sports marketing in 2026 and the behaviors…
당사 제품은 귀하와 귀하의 비즈니스에 도움이 될 수 있습니다.
-
International Linear TV
Uncover comprehensive insights into global linear TV audiences to optimize content, programming, and ad…
-
U.S. National and Local TV Measurement
Gain accurate insights into national and local TV viewership to drive smarter media decisions with Nielsen’s…
-
Streaming Measurement
Gain insights into how viewers spend time watching streaming video content to drive success for programming,…
